Zelenskyy: Ukraine will be in European Union faster than predicted
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine expects to become a member of the European Union in a shorter time frame than predicted. Persistence is key to achieving this, according to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a documentary about Ukraine's western course.
The head of state shared that when Ukraine received candidate status for EU membership, he had a meeting with all the leaders of the member states. At that time, most warned that "it takes 6-8 years to move from candidacy to negotiations, and from negotiations to EU membership, it could take 10 years."
"We will go through all these stages, I am confident, and we will join the EU faster than predicted. If we continue to push forward, to keep running, to be persistent," the president said.
He pointed out that Ukraine has passed as many laws as "EU countries did over years," often delayed by disputes and power struggles. In Ukraine, that stage was "barely noticed" — we "rushed through it."
Ukraine's accession to the EU
On June 25, Ukraine officially began negotiations on joining the European Union. The leaders of the bloc's member states supported the corresponding decision at the end of 2023.
Now, Ukraine must implement reforms to meet the criteria for EU membership.
The EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, noted that Ukraine may join the European Union faster than other countries. However, in her view, a realistic date is 2030.
