“Membership is a long-standing demand expressed by Ukraine. But there are different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement. Ukraine will send an official request, the European Commission will have to express an official opinion and the Council will decide, ”explained the person who heads the body representing the Twenty-Seven.
Charles Michel indicated that he had been informed of Ukraine’s intention to send an official application for membership and explained the procedure to be followed. He announced his intention to invite President Volodymyr Zelensky to participate “on a regular basis” in the summits of European leaders and insisted on the need to strengthen the association agreement concluded between Ukraine and the EU.
In a video message, the Ukrainian president on Monday urged the European Union to integrate “without delay” his country which has been fighting a Russian invasion for five days. “I’m sure that’s right. I’m sure it’s possible,” Volodymyr Zelensky argued.
They’re ours
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke out on Sunday in favor of enlarging the EU to include Ukraine. “They are ours and we want them to be in the EU,” she said in an interview with the Euronews channel. Monday his remarks were clarified by his spokesperson, during the daily press briefing of the European executive in Brussels.
Ursula von der Leyen “expressed her point of view as President of the Commission”, but “there is a process” and “it is not she alone who decides”, said this spokesperson, Eric Mamer . “She clearly referred to the fact that Ukraine has a European perspective”, judging that this State “is one of ours in the sense that it is a European country”, nuanced Eric Mamer.