Prime Minister Shmyhal: Ukraine hopes to join the EU within two years

Ukraine expects to join the European Union within the next two years, said Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, writes Politico.

“We have a very ambitious plan to join the European Union within the next two years. Therefore, we expect that this year, in 2023, we may already have a preliminary stage of negotiations,” Shmyhal said in an interview with the publication.

According to Politico, Ukraine’s close allies in the EU, such as Poland and the Baltic states, strongly support Kyiv’s aspirations for membership in the union. At the same time, many representatives of the “old guard” of the EU are much more cautious on this issue, since Ukraine, as the world’s agricultural superpower, can weaken their own powers and privileges.

On Friday, February 3, Ukraine will host the EU-Ukraine summit, at which one of the priority issues will be the country’s membership in the European Union, Politico notes. At the same time, the Prime Minister of Ukraine expressed hope that within the framework of the summit, Ukraine will be able to achieve “substantial progress” in such areas as an agreement on a visa-free regime for industrial goods, the suspension of customs duties on Ukrainian exports for another year. Kyiv also hopes to achieve “active progress” in joining SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) and incorporating Ukraine into the EU mobile roaming area.

Last year French President Emmanuel Macron declaredthat Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will take many years. The head of state added that “Ukraine is already a member of the European family” and suggested creating a “European political community” that could accept it into its ranks.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for Ukraine’s membership in the EU on February 28, 2022. In the summer of the same year, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel declaredthat the heads of state and government of the European Union at the summit in Brussels approved the granting of Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidates for membership in the organization.

In June 2022, at the SPIEF plenary session, President Vladimir Putin declaredthat Russia is not against Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, since it is not a military organization. The head of state stressed that Russia has never been against economic integration, the Russian side has opposed the military development of Ukraine. The EU member states will have to answer the question about the expediency of accepting Ukraine, he added.