President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the decision of the leaders of the European Union to start negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU. The corresponding decision was made at the summit of the European Union in Brussels on December 14.
"There is a decision to open negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU. I thank everyone who worked for this solution, thank you to everyone who helped. I congratulate every Ukrainian man and woman. I congratulate all of Moldova, and you, Maye, personally. History is made by those who never tire of fighting for freedom," the countryʼs leader wrote while on an unannounced visit to Germany.
Ukraine intensified cooperation with the European Union in 2014 after the victory of the Revolution of Dignity. In the same year, the Council and the European Parliament simultaneously approved the Association Agreement of Ukraine with the EU. It entered into full force on September 1, 2017. The strategic course for Ukraineʼs membership in the European Union and NATO has been enshrined in the Constitution since February 2019.
On February 28, 2022, four days after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine applied to join the European Union under a special procedure. Georgia and Moldova submitted such applications soon after. On June 17, the European Commission recommended granting the status of a candidate for EU accession to Ukraine and Moldova, and also put forward a number of conditions that Ukraine must fulfill before the start of negotiations on accession to the European Union. On June 23, EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit, where they granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidates.
On November 8, the European Commission recommended starting negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on joining the EU. On the same day, Zelenskyi signed a decree on preparation for negotiations on Ukraineʼs accession to the EU, instructing the Cabinet to ensure the completion of the implementation of the European Commissionʼs recommendations presented in the report.