Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a strong appeal to the European Union to initiate membership negotiations with Ukraine in June, emphasizing the need to demonstrate resilience against Russian aggression. During the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Vilnius on April 11, Zelenskyy underscored the significance of European unity and the right of democratic nations in Europe to be part of the EU and NATO, Interfax reports.
“Every democratic nation in Europe, upholding and defending common European values, deserves membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This fact needs to be affirmed with real actions,” Zelenskyy stated. He further added that starting negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU in June would be a timely move to signal Europe’s strength and deter any misconceptions of weakness by Russian President Putin.
In addition to his call to the EU, Zelenskyy urged NATO to extend a membership invitation to Ukraine. He stressed that Putin’s intentions are to destroy Ukraine and eventually dominate other neighboring countries, making NATO membership a crucial step for Ukraine’s security and the protection of its people and warriors.
The push for EU membership negotiations comes as Ukraine and Brussels aim to officially commence talks by the end of June, ahead of Hungary’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. Regarding NATO, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has previously explained his stance against inviting Ukraine to the Alliance in a manner similar to the EU’s decision-making process.
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