Ukraine shows full commitment to EU membership

During the Ukrainian Parliament’s Friday, July 1 session, the President of Ukraine, the Parliament Chairman, and Ukraine’s Prime Minister signed a joint statement regarding the decision of the European Council to grant Ukraine EU membership candidate status.

The document demonstrates Ukraine’s determination and commitment to urgently move forward toward EU membership.

In his speech to the parliament session, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “A new history of Ukraine and the European Union has begun. We are together with the EU now. [We are] Not only neighboring countries with borders and barriers, but one European family, with common values ​​and a common destiny.”

President Zelensky noted that the joint statement “is a signal of the unity of all levels of government and evidence of the determination to achieve Ukraine’s strategic goal; namely, full membership in the European Union.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky during a speech in Parliament – July 1 (Source: Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration).

“Our path to membership should not take years, decades. We must overcome this path quickly. As far as possible, it depends on us,” the president said.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her online speech in the parliament, assured Ukrainian parliamentarians that the EU would be by Ukraine’s side at every step on its path of transformations and changes toward EU membership.

The document, in particular, defines obligations regarding the implementation of the recommendations defined in the Conclusion of the European Commission and certifies Ukraine’s readiness to strengthen the institutional capacity of the country for:

• ensuring further progress on European integration reforms;
• expanding access to EU financial support;
• proper preparation and conducting of the negotiation process on joining the EU;
• effective participation of Ukraine in EU institutions after full accession to it.

During the session, the EU flag was solemnly brought into the hall of the Ukrainian Parliament.