Ukraine’s Zelensky presses EU chief on membership progress

European countries are increasing their military assistance to Kyiv.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, has championed Ukraine’s EU bid. Picture: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday pressed his visiting EU counterpart to advance his country’s accession to the bloc, while the EU said it would double the number of Ukrainian troops it trains to 30,000.

Ukraine won formal candidate status to become an EU member from the bloc’s leaders in June, the first step of what many officials believe will be a long process that could take many years.

Ukraine is working through a number of changes mandated by the EU before membership negotiations can begin. The changes include improving its anticorruption institutions and enforcement. EU officials have set no target date to begin accession talks, saying it would depend on the pace of Ukraine’s changes.

After meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the presidential offices in Kyiv, Mr Zelensky said progress in Ukraine’s EU membership bid is helping motivate gains on the battlefield with Russia.

“In order to fulfil this dream of a peaceful Europe, this can be done only by Ukraine winning over Russia,” Mr Zelensky said. “Every step towards greater union between Ukraine and the European Union inspires our people.”

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later said the government wants to complete all its work for entering the EU within the next two years although he acknowledged it can “take a while” for EU members to accept a member. He said Ukraine is also looking to open accession negotiations next year.

Among EU countries strains have been growing over Ukraine’s EU bid. On one side are countries including Ukraine’s EU neighbours, Poland and the Baltic states, who want to see it join the EU in the coming years. Other countries, including France and the Netherlands, want to manage Kyiv’s expectations of fast accession.

Ms von der Leyen has championed Ukraine’s bid, but EU history shows that even countries at peace can take at least a decade to win membership in the bloc.

Speaking alongside Mr Zelensky, Ms von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s “stamina and determination” to join the bloc.

She didn’t refer directly to a recent spate of decisions by Ukrainian authorities to charge high-profile officials with criminal offences and launch raids on the homes of powerful business people, including billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky, who backed Mr Zelensky’s presidential campaign. Still, she appeared to welcome the moves.

“I am comforted to see that your anti-corruption bodies are on alert and effective in detecting corruption cases,” she said.

Accountability is Washington’s top concern with Ukraine, two US officials said. They also said there hadn’t been a pointed message from US officials to Mr Zelensky to clean house in recent days.

Mr Zelensky warned of a growing concentration of Russian forces in Ukraine as Moscow seeks to press gains and encircle the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. He urged the EU to respond with more sanctions against Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

“Putin tries to deny the existence of Ukraine,” replied Ms von der Leyen. “But what he risks instead is the future of Russia.”

She said EU sanctions were grinding down Russia’s economic growth and said the EU and its member states had now given Ukraine €50bn ($91bn), in loans and grants since the war started.

Ms von der Leyen was in Kyiv for an unprecedented visit, leading a team of 16 EU commissioners to Ukraine, intended as a powerful sign of support. It is her fourth trip to Ukraine since the war began on February 24, 2022.

The commission announced a range of assistance projects for Ukraine on Thursday, including help accelerating the use of renewable energy, reconstruction aid, a new centre in The Hague to collect evidence of alleged Russian war crimes and the promise of 2400 generators to help Ukraine keep its energy system running amid widespread Russian missile attacks.

Ms von der Leyen also announced the EU would extend its waiver on import duties on Ukrainian goods for another year.

The assistance provided pales in comparison with the costs of helping Ukraine recover from the damage inflicted by the war. Mr Shmyhal said Thursday the government estimates the damage from the conflict would reach between €600bn and €750bn by the end of the year. Ukraine wants Russia to bear the bulk of those costs.

The Wall Street Journal