Ukraine is hoping to receive within weeks candidate country status for joining the European Union, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday as he met with the EU’s envoy to Ukraine in Kyiv.
Zelensky handed the envoy, Matti Maasikas, two volumes in response to a membership questionnaire brought by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Ukraine this month.
“We believe that we will receive support for this work, become a candidate for admission, and then the next final stage will begin,” Zelensky told Maasikas, according to a video of the meeting on social media.
“We really believe that this procedure will take place in the coming weeks,” he said, adding that “our people … mentally have been in Europe for a long time”.
Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said that Ukraine was hoping to receive candidate status following a summit of EU leaders in June.
“Next, accession negotiations should begin, which should take place under an accelerated procedure.
“Ukraine will be in the EU,” he wrote.
Ukraine has ramped up its bid to join the European Union since Russian forces invaded on February 24.
EU leaders have voiced support for Ukraine’s ambitions but have not committed to any timetable and have expressed scepticism about speeding up a process that usually takes years.
