Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was handed the necessary applications for Ukraine to join the European Union (EU) by President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Ukraine on Friday.
Zelensky has long stated that Ukraine wishes to join the EU, and this application form for Zelensky and Ukraine creates the path for them to join some time down the line.
Ursula von der Leyen discussed the potential of Ukraine joining the EU, saying:
“We have heard your request, loud and clear. And today, we are here to give you a first, positive answer,” von der Leyen said.
“In this envelope, there is an important step towards EU membership. This questionnaire is the basis for our discussion in the coming months. This is where your path toward the European Union begins.”
She added that the institutions will be at the country’s disposal “24 hours a day, 7 days a week” to help them with this process. “Ukraine is a friend, we know this very well. Ukraine shares our values,” she said.
We can never match the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people.
But we are mobilizing our economic power to make Putin pay.We have imposed heavy sanctions against Russia & are already preparing the 6th wave.
Russia will descend, while Ukraine is marching towards a European future. pic.twitter.com/PdRuB2gFJP
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 8, 2022
Ursula von der Leyen appears to be attempting to fast-track the acceptance of Ukraine to the EU due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. While this form can typically take multiple years to accept, von der Leyen has stated that she intends on presenting the application as early as this summer.
While it’s unclear if the conflict between Ukraine and Russia will continue into this upcoming summer, Zelensky and the EU appear to feel as though this will assist them in Ukraine’s fight against a Russian invasion. At this point, Ukraine has been largely backed by the EU, however by joining the EU it’s likely they’d be initiated to more protection and funding from their European allies.
Today, Zelesky would take to Twitter, posting:
The future of the EU is being written, right now, in Ukraine.
This is a fight for freedom, sovereignty and democracy.
The future of the EU is being written, right now, in Ukraine.
This is a fight for freedom, sovereignty and democracy. 🇪🇺 🇺🇦@vonderleyen pic.twitter.com/L6UNdkdFg4— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 2, 2023
Good start.