EU’s von der Leyen meets Ukraine’s Zelensky in Kyiv
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss the country’s request to join the European Union.
President of EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) brief the press following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine.Photo: PAP/EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
During their meeting, von der Leyen told Zelensky that the commission’s assessment on Ukraine’s EU candidate status will be finalised “by the end of next week,” the Reuters news agency reported.
The European Parliament is set to recommend this month that the European Union grant candidate status to Ukraine.
The recommendation will be made at the next European Council summit on June 23-24, Polish state news agency PAP reported on Wednesday, citing Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.
So far, the presidents of ten eastern European countries have come out in favour of Ukraine’s swift entry to the EU.
These countries are: Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
However, according to reuters, “all 27 EU governments would have to agree to grant Ukraine candidate status, after which there would be extensive talks on the reforms required before Kyiv could be considered for membership.”
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