Zelensky expects EU accession negotiations to begin this year

Published November 04,2023

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Following the go to by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects EU accession negotiations to start this yr.

“Today I heard positive signals from the president of the European Commission regarding our progress towards the start of negotiations,” Zelensky stated in his night video message broadcast on Saturday. Von der Leyen had beforehand acknowledged the success of Ukraine, which has been defending itself in opposition to a full-scale Russian invasion for greater than 20 months.

EU leaders are to determine on the beginning of accession negotiations in December.

In his speech, Zelensky emphasised that the Ukrainians ought to get used to integrating into the EU. The time is approaching when the Ukrainian flag will fly in Brussels alongside the flags of different EU states. “I would like to thank President von der Leyen for her strong and fundamental support.”

It is just not a query of the EU dictating something to Ukraine, Zelensky confused, referring to the combat in opposition to corruption, for instance, which Brussels has repeatedly known as for. “The transformation of our country is something we need ourselves,” he stated.

Despite the battle, Ukraine had been granted EU candidate standing at document velocity and had now additionally created the circumstances for the beginning of negotiations on accession.

Ukraine has achieved many milestones on the best way to Kiev’s aim of becoming a member of the European Union, she stated. Von der Leyen talked about the reform of the judicial system, the curbing of the affect of oligarchs and the combat in opposition to cash laundering.