War between Russia and Ukraine: European Council meets from 23-24 June.
Ukraine has completed a questionnaire that will provide a starting point for the European Union to decide on Kiev’s membership, said Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed over the questionnaire to Zelensky during her visit to Kiev on April 8, promising a faster start to Ukraine’s bid to join the EU after Russia’s invasion of the country.
“Today I can say that the document has been completed by the Ukrainian side,” Zhovkva told the Ukrainian public broadcaster on Sunday evening.
The European Commission will have to issue a recommendation on Ukraine’s compliance with the necessary membership criteria, he added.
“We expect the recommendation… to be positive, and then the ball will be in the EU Member States’ side.”
Zhovkva added that Ukraine expects to acquire candidate country status for EU accession in June at a scheduled meeting of the European Council meeting.
The European Council will meet on 23 and 24 June, according to the Council’s schedule on its website.
“Then we should start accession negotiations. And if we have those talks, we can already talk about Ukraine’s full membership in the EU,” Zhovkva said.
(Melbourne report by Lidia Kelly; editing by Stephen Coates)
