On 25 June, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine is ready to do everything possible to complete the process of becoming an EU member, according to UkrInform.
The Ukrainian top official claimed this at the first intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, which marked the beginning of Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations.
However, substantive talks on joining the bloc will start only after the country implements the necessary reforms to align with EU legislation. Ukraine applied for EU membership after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“Thousands of Ukraine’s best sons and daughters gave their lives for an independent European Ukraine. I bow my head in memory of the fallen Ukrainian heroes. I bow in gratitude to the Ukrainian soldiers who made this day possible.
Thanks to them, we can start the negotiating process, which will ultimately lead to Ukraine’s accession to the EU. We will do everything possible to achieve this,” claimed Shmyhal.
He noted that “there is still a lot of work ahead on the path to membership.” However, Ukraine “is ready for this.”
“Ukraine’s future membership is the best answer from Europe to current challenges and a unique opportunity to strengthen the EU.
We are convinced that helping Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression and assisting in post-war reconstruction will be Europe’s greatest achievement,” he stressed.
The head of the Ukrainian government said that “strong Ukraine is impossible outside the EU, just as a strong EU is impossible without Ukraine.”
Read more:
- UN report: Russian torture of Ukrainian POWs “widespread and systematic”
- Ukraine’s EU accession talks to begin on 25 June, Kuleba announces
- Europeans largely support humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine, survey shows
- Hahn: Potential 20% EU budget hike from Ukraine’s accession only 0.2% of economic output, yet quick membership unlikely
