V. Zelenskis: the recommendation to start negotiations on EU membership is the right step

“Today, the history of Ukraine and the whole of Europe took a right step,” he wrote on the Telegram platform.

“Our country should be in the European Union,” V. Zelenskis added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EC recommended that the bloc’s member states start formal negotiations on the membership of Ukraine and Moldova, and grant Sakartveli the status of a candidate country.

Ukraine, which staged a pro-European revolution in 2014, said that Moscow’s invasion should speed up its accession to the bloc.

Kyiv began seeking membership in the European Union a few days after Moscow invaded in February 2022, and Ukraine was granted candidate status last June.

The European Union, whose countries are arming Ukraine fighting Russia, is calling on Kyiv to continue anti-corruption reforms necessary for the bloc’s accession process.

“Ukrainians deserve it for the fact that they defend European values ​​and for the fact that even during a full-scale war we keep our word and develop state institutions,” V. Zelenskiy said, adding: “We take all the necessary decisions.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhalis said that Kyiv will fulfill the reforms required by the bloc.

“At the government level, we have implemented all seven recommendations of the European Commission,” D. Šmyhalis said via Telegram.

He added that Kyiv is “committed to carrying out the state transformation process so that Ukraine becomes an equal, strong and full member of the European Union”.