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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine requires an accelerated path to European Union membership, warning that any prolonged delay after the war could allow Russia to obstruct the country’s European integration.
Speaking via video link at the Reuters NEXT conference on June 16, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs faster and more flexible accession mechanisms due to the extraordinary circumstances created by Russia’s full-scale invasion, UATV English reports.
The president thanked German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for supporting Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union.
“First of all, I am very grateful to Friedrich for his support. He is on our side. He understands that Ukraine is counting on an accelerated path, something like that,” Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that not all European leaders support the idea of a fast-tracked accession process.
“I know that not all leaders like this format — an accelerated path — because they want very clear and transparent steps for everyone. But with all due respect, we are not like everyone else. We are at war, and we need more creative and faster decisions. We really need that,” he said.
According to Zelenskyy, postponing Ukraine’s accession process would create significant risks for the country.
“Otherwise, if there is a long pause on our path to the EU after this war, everything will be the same as it was with NATO. Russia will find a way to block Ukraine’s path to the European Union,” the president warned.
He added that Moscow is not interested in seeing a successful Ukraine and is even less willing to see Ukraine become part of the European family.
For that reason, Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine needs an accelerated accession process while ultimately aiming for full EU membership rather than intermediate formats.
Earlier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed speeding up Ukraine’s integration into the European Union by introducing an initial form of associated membership.
