Zelenskyy thinks Ukraine's fast accession to EU is possible

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine's accession to the European Union under a fast-track scenario is realistic, whereby part of the required tasks would be completed after accession.

Source: Zelenskyy, in response to a question from European Pravda, during a press conference in Kyiv

Details: Zelenskyy insists that Ukraine will not abandon its bid to join the European Union, as the importance of this step for Ukrainian security is extremely high.

"The European Union is a security guarantee for Ukraine and for all of Europe. It is a security guarantee for our future. This is an existential choice," he said, noting that this is not only about geopolitical and economic realities, but also about "shared values".

"As for a concrete date, I asked our diplomats: when will we be technically ready? Technically, we will be ready in 2027," Zelenskyy added. Notably, in his response Zelenskyy did not insist on fixing 2027 specifically in official documents and explained that this date is based on expectations regarding Ukraine's technical readiness for accession.

Nonetheless, he stressed that Ukraine should follow a special, accelerated procedure, and explained that this requirement is based on the fact that other options would face Russian opposition.

"What interests us is a fast-track. Compared to all other countries – our neighbors and our Balkan friends – those that are candidates, and rightly so, and will join the European Union – they are not at war and do not have a hostile force on their borders, or on Europe's borders, that would block their accession to the European Union in the future. Russia will block our accession to the European Union in the future, in peacetime – that is obvious; they have already done it. [...] It is interested in Ukraine being neither in NATO nor in the European Union. [...] It will be a hybrid war against Ukraine's accession to the European Union," Zelenskyy predicted.

Responding to statements by European leaders that membership requires meeting certain prerequisites, the president proposed a model under which Ukraine would have a path to fulfil these conditions after a political decision.

"Post factum, Ukraine can do everything it commits to doing before the European Union. This is exactly how it worked with candidate status. It worked for our country. [...] We receive candidate status first, and then complete several steps. And if we do not complete them, there will be no status. That is a normal approach," Zelenskyy explained.

Background:

• Earlier, the European Commission said that Ukraine's accession to the EU in 2027 is not only Zelenskyy's wish, but also that of many member states.
• However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Ukraine's accession to the EU in 2027 is unrealistic.
• Ukraine's foreign minister has also outlined his vision of the date of Ukraine's accession to the EU.

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