President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have reaffirmed full support for Ukraine’s path to European Union membership, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to the outcomes of their joint press conference in Brussels.
In his remarks, António Costa emphasized that Ukraine’s security is inseparable from the security of Europe as a whole. According to him, the EU’s main objective is to achieve a just and lasting peace through support for Ukrainian reforms and the creation of a foundation for the country’s future accession to the Union.
“Despite incredibly difficult circumstances, the Ukrainian government is implementing reforms at an impressive pace. Now is the time to intensify our efforts and move forward on the path to Ukraine’s EU membership,” Costa stated.
Ursula von der Leyen, in turn, expressed admiration for Ukraine’s determination to continue its transformative agenda, even under constant Russian shelling.
“Under continuous fire, Ukraine is passing one reform after another. That is why the European Commission supports the opening of the first negotiation cluster. Ukraine has fulfilled its task – now it is our turn to act. The accession process is merit-based. And Ukraine deserves to move forward,” von der Leyen noted.
Earlier we wrote that European Commission proposes adding Ukraine to EU roaming zone by 2026.