The European Union will formally begin Ukrainian accession talks today, rejecting Russia’s attempts to force its former Soviet neighbour not to join Western alliances.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to give a speech at the launch ceremony, in what Ukraine’s top official for Europe, Olga Stefanishyna, described as a “big day”.
Despite the war, the country would not be seeking special treatment during negotiations, she said.
“This is the utmost will of the Ukrainian people. And this is the irreversibility. And you’ve seen Ukrainians stand up for their choice,” said Olga Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
“It’s a big day for everybody,” said Stefanishyna, who frequently showed emotion while describing the integration process.
“It has been around two years since Ukraine applied for membership. The war is still raging on, but the accession is starting right now.”
While praised for making progress since its application, Ukraine must carry out dozens of institutional and legal reforms required for membership.
The launch of talks, though largely ceremonial, is an important step for a nation that has spilled blood and pushed through the reforms required in its pursuit of EU membership.
“Ukraine is returning to Europe, where it has belonged for centuries, as a full-fledged member of the European community,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.
Kyiv filed its request to join the EU days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. It sees membership as validation of its fight to embrace European values.
It now faces a lengthy path to accession, and needs to overhaul a bureaucracy still riddled with vestiges of Soviet days.
The task will be complicated by the war with Russia that has no end in sight, with Ukrainian towns and cities under constant threat of Russian air strikes that have killed many civilians as well as soldiers, forced millions from their homes and damaged critical and energy infrastructure.
