Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the opening of the first negotiation cluster in the accession talks between Ukraine, Moldova and the European Union, and called on the EU to accelerate the next stages of the process.
The head of state made the remarks during an address to the Intergovernmental Conference of the European Union.
According to Zelenskyy, the opening of the first cluster demonstrates that the European integration of Ukraine and Moldova is moving forward despite all challenges.
“We believe that one of the strongest responses Europe can give to Russian attacks and ongoing acts of aggression is to accelerate our accession process and speed up the opening of negotiation clusters,” the president said.
He stressed that Ukraine has completed the necessary work for further progress in the talks and is ready for the opening of all negotiation clusters.
“Ukraine has earned the right to move faster. We are ready to open all clusters. We have done our homework. Everyone in Europe knows this,” Zelenskyy stated.
The president also urged the EU not to delay the opening of the remaining five clusters after launching the first one.
Zelenskyy also focused on efforts to end the war. According to him, Ukraine has repeatedly proposed a high-level meeting with Russia aimed at making real decisions on peace, but the Kremlin has refused such talks.
He said the possibility of a new meeting with the Russian side had been discussed with the United States and France on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
In addition, Zelenskyy noted that he had discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump the possibility of holding such a meeting in the United States.
“If Russia rejects this opportunity as well, additional pressure will be needed,” Zelenskyy said.
The president also noted that Ukraine and Moldova continue to coordinate their efforts on the path toward EU membership and expect to achieve this goal together.
