Zelenskyy outlines three priorities for Ukraine's EU accession
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (facebook.com_zelenskyy.official)
Ukraine has identified three key priorities for stepping up its efforts toward European Union membership, including strengthening resilience this winter, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"We identified areas for intensifying work with the European Union. Two clusters in the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union have already been opened this year, and we are preparing to open four more," he emphasized.
The president said the priorities were agreed during a meeting with Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Vsevolod Chentsov, and Deputy Heads of the Presidential Office Sergiy Kyslytsia and Ihor Zhovkva.
Three key priorities
"First, Ukraine is working specifically toward full membership in the European Union. We view this not only as a political or economic task, but also as a security task – both for us and for the European Union," Zelenskyy said.
According to the president, Ukraine's accession would eliminate the "geopolitical uncertainty" that Russia has exploited for decades to destabilize both Ukraine and the EU. He added that, together with Ukraine's military strength, the European Union would gain important security capabilities that would reinforce the European component of the Euro-Atlantic community.
"Second, we must take full advantage of all opportunities from Ukraine’s sectoral integration into the European Union right now," Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that every EU member state should regard Ukraine as "an integral part of normal European processes," which should drive "political progress and the decisions of leaders and countries."
"Third, of course, we must build relations at every level in such a way that Ukraine receives the necessary packages and decisions to support resilience this winter. Relations with Brussels and the European institutions, the capitals of Europe, and communities in European countries must be practical – focused on what can genuinely support the protection of life in Ukraine," the president said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that cooperation with Brussels, European institutions, national capitals, and local communities across Europe should focus on practical measures that can directly help protect lives in Ukraine.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Hungary had blocked negotiations on opening two additional clusters in Ukraine's EU accession talks. The team of Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has also argued against accelerating Ukraine's European integration.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that Budapest's decision is not related to Ukraine's level of preparedness for the accession process. Instead, the blockade stems from bilateral political disagreements between the two countries, along with several other factors.
