In . – 04/18/2022 15:22 (act 04/18/2022 19:24)
Adviser to Zelenskyj: Ukraine assumes that it will receive candidate status for EU membership. ©REUTERS/Yves Herman (image of symbol)
What’s next for Ukraine and the EU? According to the government, the country has completely filled out the questionnaire presented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for the application to join the EU.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s deputy chief of staff, Ihor Zhovkva, said in an interview on Ukrainian public television on Sunday (local time), the European Commission must now clarify whether Ukraine meets the membership criteria.
Will Ukraine get EU candidate status?
“We hope the recommendation is positive and then the ball will be in the hands of the EU member states,” Showkwa said, referring to the responsibilities of the 27 EU governments. These must unanimously decide on all steps related to the accession negotiations. Zelenskyi’s adviser said Ukraine expected to receive EU candidate status during the European Council meeting scheduled for June 23-24.
Head of the European Commission: promises to the President of Ukraine
During her April 8 visit to Kiev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj an expedited decision on the country’s admission to the international community. She handed Selenskyj a list of questions about intended EU membership, and the president promised to process the document within a week. Ukraine had applied for EU membership shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.
Complicated EU accession process
Joining the EU is a long and complicated process. The last EU expansion was in 2013 with the addition of Croatia. The countries of the Western Balkans have been trying for years to become members of the EU. Turkey has virtually no prospects, although it has had candidate country status since 1999 and has been conducting accession negotiations since 2005.