PM hopes Ukraine will join EU immediately after winning war against Russia
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hopes Ukraine will become a member of the European Union immediately after winning the war with Russia, according to his press conference.
"I have great hope that the political decision on Ukraine's accession (to the EU - ed.) will be made immediately after our victory. I do not believe that the EU will wait for any formalities for Ukraine to do its homework. We will do it, we fulfill all our obligations and we appreciate the advance steps," he said.
Shmyhal adds Ukraine will do its homework in two years.
"I want to believe that Ukraine will become a member of the EU immediately after our victory, after the end of this war. We will do our homework in two years," he said.
Ukraine's EU accession
On November 8, 2023, the European Commission published a report on the progress made by Ukraine and other candidate states (Moldova and Georgia) on the path to EU accession. The EC recommended starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
On December 14, 2023, the European Council at the Brussels summit supported the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. As then stated by the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, Budapest does not oppose Ukraine's accession to the EU, but the question of opening negotiations should be postponed for six months.
Last year, Ukraine obtained the status of a candidate for EU membership. However, it is necessary to meet seven conditions to become a member of the EU.
Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna said that meeting two conditions "is a very good result."
