War in Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes the support of Brussels, this is the first step on the road to accession
Sylvie Claire / June 18, 2022
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Brussels' support for Ukraine's EU candidate status as positive news for the country as the key eastern city of Severodonetsk is shelled by Russian forces.
The European Commission recommended on Friday that Ukraine be granted EU candidate status. Its advice will be discussed Thursday and Friday at an EU summit, where the 27 EU leaders will have to give the green light - unanimously - for Kiev to officially obtain this status.
For Mr. Zelensky, who expects a positive outcome at the summit, this is the first step on the road to EU membership. Ukraine deserves this positive news, said the Ukrainian president in his evening video address, praising a historic achievement of all those who work for our state.
Our rapprochement with the European Union is not only positive for us. It is the greatest contribution to the future of Europe in many years, he added.
We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for their European aspirations. We want them to live with us, for the European dream, said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Brussels earlier in the day, dressed in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine.
The Commission recommends to the Council, firstly, to give Ukraine a European perspective and, secondly, to grant it candidate status, she added, the day after the visit to Kiev of the leaders of Germany, France and Italy, the three leading European powers who delivered the same message.