President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraineʼs path to EU membership should not take years or decades, and promised to make Ukraineʼs participation in this process "ideal."
He stated this during a speech in parliament on July 1.
"Today, together with the Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Prime Minister, we are signing a joint statement, which is a signal of unity of all branches of government and evidence of our determination to achieve Ukraineʼs strategic goal of full membership in the European Union. And signing this statement should mean the same as signing an application for admission on the fifth day of the war. We went to the candidacy for 115 days. And our path to membership should not take years or decades. We have to overcome this path quickly. Make our part of the job perfect. To enable our friends in the European Union to make another historic decision for us just as quickly and in a consolidated way," Zelenskyy said.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also spoke at the parliament session. She announced that Ukraine should do the following in the near future:
- to appoint the heads of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau;
- start implementing the law on oligarchs in order to "loosen their grip on the economy" (Ukraine is the only EU Eastern Partnership country that has adopted this law);
- to reform the Constitutional Court, taking into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission;
- adopt a law on media that will combine Ukrainian legislation with current EU standards.
It will be recalled that the Cabinet of Ministers believes that Ukraine can become a full member of the European Union no earlier than 2029: many reforms and laws still need to be implemented. As for the start of accession talks, this is possible in early 2023. Until then, Ukraine must meet all the conditions of the European Commission.
- On June 23, Ukraine officially became a candidate for membership in the European Union. The relevant decision was made at the summit of EU leaders. Moldova also received this status. Georgia will also be able to obtain this status if it fulfills certain conditions.