Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his country’s commitment to joining the European Union, telling Euronews’ European Conversation that Kyiv’s future lies within the EU.
Asked at the Euronews Enlargement Summit about the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU by 2030, President Zelensky said that although it may sound like “science fiction”, “I would like to believe that Ukraine will join the EU by that date.”
The Ukrainian leader went on to caution against expectations, stressing that he hoped the process would be carried out in a “fair manner” and only after the end of full-scale Russian aggression.
“We hope that when Ukraine stands on its own terms and the war ends, it will be done in a fair manner.”
Zelenskiy’s comments are in line with the European Commission’s annual enlargement report published on Tuesday. The statement praised Ukraine’s “remarkable efforts” and progress toward EU membership, while calling on the war-torn country to reverse “negative trends,” particularly in the area of corruption.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Karas said on Tuesday that the 2030 benchmark was a “realistic target” for EU membership candidates, while stressing the need for Ukraine to “maintain momentum” and avoid “any setbacks”.
Commenting on the assessment, President Zelenskiy told Euronews that his country was “doing everything possible” to join the EU, including strengthening anti-corruption measures.
Asked about the possibility of the candidate country being floated among EU officials to join the EU without full voting rights initially, the Ukrainian leader made his position clear: “If we talk about joining the EU, it has to be serious.”
“In my opinion, we cannot be ‘semi’ or ‘demi’ members of the EU,” he said. “Ukraine is fighting for independence and our future lies in the EU.”
As it stands, the European Commission considers that Ukraine has fulfilled the preconditions for starting negotiations on three of the six clusters, which must be met in order to be admitted to the EU.
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has exercised his veto power, blocking the start of these talks.
President Zelenskiy labeled Orbán’s veto of Kyiv’s EU membership ambitions an act of “special support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine reiterated Ukraine’s determination to meet the necessary requirements to make the opening of all clusters viable “by the end of the year.”
European aid must run in parallel with U.S. aid
President Zelensky praised the EU’s latest sanctions policy against Russia, adopted in late October, as a means to squeeze Russia’s economy and reduce war costs.
“Undoubtedly, without the support of European Union leaders,[the war effort]will be very difficult,” he said.
“Europe is also supporting the import of gas and the delivery of equipment to restore electricity and electricity supplies,” Zelensky added. The country’s energy infrastructure is a major target of Russian drone and missile attacks ahead of its fourth wartime winter.
The Ukrainian leader expressed special gratitude to Germany for supplying his country with two American-made Patriot missiles.
President Zelensky emphasized the importance of U.S. support and praised the Trump administration for recently imposing sanctions targeting Russian oil companies, a move seen as a boost for Kiev.
Despite this support, Ukrainian leaders have emphasized the need for the U.S. to supply Tomahawk missiles as a deterrent to Russia, something President Trump has so far rejected.
“The United States needs to be open to long-range weapons opportunities. We need to have long-range weapons, even as a deterrent,” he said. “That would put decisive pressure on Russia.”
“Energy Fear”
President Zelenskiy dialed into a video call with Euronews from Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where he is meeting with soldiers on the front lines.
“They are fighting a war not only for their families, their homes, but most importantly, the future of Ukraine, the future of Ukraine in the European Union.”
The Russian government has stepped up its missile attacks on Ukraine this fall, making October the deadliest month on record since early 2023, a strategy that amounts to “energy terrorism” for Zelensky.
“President Putin wants to create chaos so that people do not have electricity or water during the winter. This is how Putin sees success, but he will not succeed.”
“Russia is escalating[attacks]because it hasn’t been successful on the ground, on the front lines. So President Putin has nothing to sell to his own society.”
