Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that Ukraine needs to set clear deadlines for accelerated accession to the European Union. According to him, membership in the bloc is an important component of the country's future security infrastructure.
He stated this during a joint press conference with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, on February 16, a correspondent for Suspilny reports.
“We need to define a time frame, clear deadlines for Ukraine's accelerated accession to the European Union. EU membership for Ukraine, and not only for Ukraine, is an element of future security infrastructure, security guarantees. This is a strategic choice of our people,” said Sybiga.
According to him, Ukraine is currently successfully implementing reforms and meeting all the criteria necessary for accession, emphasizing the active support of this process from the Council of Europe.
Sybiga reported that after a series of meetings between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation at the Munich Security Conference, active discussions with partners are ongoing regarding the timeframe for Ukraine's accession to the EU.
At the same time, he noted that Hungary “blocks all efforts of the Ukrainian side in this direction,” but, in his opinion, “Europe realizes that Ukraine is needed by the European Union.”
“Discussions are ongoing. We had some specific conversations with different visions and different formulas, but, of course, there is still a lot of work ahead….Ukraine will bring a lot of advantages to the EU – from security to strengthening the political, diplomatic and economic positions of Europe – for self-sufficiency, for strategic autonomy, for the defense industry. Therefore, it seems to me that this process is gaining practical dimensions,” added Sibiga.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will be technically ready to join the European Union in 2027, but the exact date of accession has not yet been determined.