UPDATED: Ukraine president says he expects progress on EU membership bid within months

LVIV, Ukraine March 18 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he spoke with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Friday and Ukraine expects progress to be made on its application to join the European Union in the coming months.

“Had substantial conversation with EC President,” Zelenskiy said on Twitter. “EC opinion on UA (Ukraine) application for #EU membership will be prepared within few months. UA Government and EC are instructed. Moving to our strategic goal together.”

Ukraine will not abandon its bid to join the European Union to reach a compromise with Russia as part of an agreement to end the war, the deputy chief of staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.

“I will be categorical, this is absolutely unacceptable. It is our choice, the application for EU membership has been submitted and now it is being put into practice,” deputy chief of staff Andrii Sybiha said.

Speaking on national television, Sybiha said negotiations with Russia were ongoing but difficult.

The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, says he has spoken with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, about a further package of EU sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine.

The European bloc approved a fourth round of sanctions earlier this week, which included bans on Russian energy sector investments, luxury goods exports to Moscow and imports of steel products from Russia.