[Epoch Times, March 01, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Xia Yu comprehensive report) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday (February 28) that he had signed an official document, Request Ukraine to join the European Union. On Sunday, top EU officials have publicly stated that they welcome Ukraine’s membership of the bloc.
Zelensky has asked the EU to allow Ukraine immediate membership under a special procedure to protect itself from an invasion by Russian troops.
The presidents of eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe called on EU member states to immediately grant Ukraine EU candidate status and to start membership negotiations, according to an open letter published on Monday.
“We, the Presidents of the EU Member States: the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Slovenia believe that Ukraine should be granted immediate access to the EU,” the letter said.
EU leaders are likely to discuss the possibility of Ukraine joining at an informal summit in March, a senior EU official said on Monday, adding that the issue was important for Ukraine’s talks with Russia to end the conflict.
“I think one of the reasons why this is important to President Zelensky is probably the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine,” the official said, referring to the Russia-Ukraine talks that ended the conflict.
But he added that no procedures had been initiated.
“Regarding (Ukraine’s application to join the EU), I think it is important not to rush it,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official said the whole issue of the situation in Ukraine is a matter of great concern to the leaders.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, said the priority was to provide Ukraine with practical support to deal with the Russian aggression, rather than discussing long-term issues that could take years.
“We have to provide answers for the next few hours, not the next few years,” he told reporters on Monday when asked about Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
“Ukraine obviously has a European point of view, but now we have to fight the invasion.”
Ukraine belongs to the European Union (EU) and the EU wants them to join, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a Euronews TV interview on Sunday (February 27).
“We have a process with Ukraine, for example, to integrate the Ukrainian market into the single market. For example, we have very close cooperation on energy grids. We have many subjects that we work closely with, and in fact over time they belong to We. They are one of us, and we want them to join,” Von der Leyen said.
European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President von der Leyen will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholl in Paris on Monday evening Olaf Scholz for talks.
“So I’m sure that’s going to come up in these discussions. Of course we’ll have an informal European Council meeting on March 10 and 11 very soon, and I think the topic of Ukraine is on the minds of many leaders.” the official said.
Ukraine has an alliance agreement with the EU but wants to become a full member, something Russia has objected to. So far, Ukraine’s membership has not been discussed so as not to anger Moscow, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed everything, the official said.
“We’re seeing this unprecedented Russian aggression against Ukraine, we’re seeing strong condemnation from the EU, outrage from the EU, member states, public opinion – I think that’s probably also a factor that will determine our response (membership application). ),” the official said.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Monday that he “fully supports” accelerating Ukraine’s EU membership process, while Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said it was necessary to make it clear that Ukraine was welcome, CTK news agency reported on Monday. .
Responsible editor: Li Huanyu#