European Commission recommends EU Council start accession negotiations with Ukraine

The European Commission recommends that the Council of the European Union start accession negotiations with Ukraine. This was announced by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

“Ukrainians are deeply reforming their country and preparing for accession, even as they are fighting an existential war. Today the Commission recommends that the Council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine,” she wrote in X (Twitter).

The Commission also recommends that the EU Council open accession negotiations with Moldova, open such negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, after adequate compliance with the criteria, and grant Georgia candidate status, provided that the government takes important reform steps.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already welcomed such a decision of the European Commission regarding Ukraine.

“Today, the history of Ukraine and the whole of Europe has taken the right step - the European Commission has recommended starting membership negotiations with Ukraine. Our country must be in the European Union. Ukrainians deserve it both for their defense of European values and for the fact that even in times of full-scale war, we keep our word and develop state institutions,” he said in Telegram.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on June 23, 2022, Ukraine officially received the status of a candidate for EU membership and must now fulfill a number of requirements for the start of membership negotiations.

Ukraine expects to open negotiations on EU membership by the end of 2023.

Shmyhal said that Ukraine plans to prepare for joining the European Union by the end of 2024.