Zelenskyy hands in paperwork to seek Ukraine's EU candidate status

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) – Ukraine's president on Monday – eight weeks into the Russian-led war – handed over a completed questionnaire for his country obtaining EU candidate status to the bloc’s top official in his country.

"I want to thank you for this important meeting. Today is one of the stages for our country in joining the European Union, the aspiration that our people are striving for and fighting for," Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Matti Maasikas, head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, according to a statement by Ukraine's Presidency.

"This is an important signal that the ambassadors are returning, we are glad to see you," he added, referring to embassies returning to the capital Kyiv, with the war waning in the city, if not elsewhere.

In the early days of the war, Zelenskyy had suggested Ukraine be given a fast track to EU membership.

Noting that the questionnaire was given to him by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Kyiv together with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Zelenskyy said his country's progress towards the EU is taking place at a "very tragic time, when many Ukrainians who profess European values are losing their lives."

"However, the people of Ukraine are united by this goal – to feel equal, part of Europe, part of the European Union," he said.

Zelenskyy also thanked von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Borrell, and Maasikas for the "prompt work" on providing the questionnaire.

"It's an important signal. We believe that we will gain support and become a candidate for accession. After that, the next, final stage will begin. We believe that this procedure will take place in the coming weeks and that it will be positive for the history of our people, given the price it paid on the path to independence and democracy," he added.

Maasikas said he feels part of a team working to give Ukraine EU candidate status.

This process is taking place in a very difficult situation for Ukraine, but everyone "feels the importance and significance" of this moment, he said.

Ukraine's answers in the questionnaire will be analyzed very quickly, said Maasikas.

- Ukraine's EU integration

The statement stressed that according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the government and Zelenskyy’s team have prepared responses in a prompt manner, and work is already underway on Ukraine's EU integration.

"We are already integrated into the EU electrical grid. We are now continuing to work with the European Commission on the integration and joint network of free roaming and free payment space," said Shmyhal.

He stressed that this work took place in parallel with the completion of the EU membership questionnaire.

Olga Stefanishyna, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, called the questionnaire a "book of Ukrainian statehood."

"All these changes that we have made, that we are fighting for now. It's about human rights, the highest human values, the economy, the changes and transformations we've really fought for," she said.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, said accelerating the process of European integration of Ukraine would be impossible without the heroism of the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian people.

"Therefore, I believe that this is a very powerful step for our victory," Yermak said.

In pursuing the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced opposition to Ukrainian integration into Western bodies, including the European Union.