EU's reply to Ukraine's membership application to show whether Europe has future - Zelensky
MOSCOW. June 14 (Interfax) - The European Union's response to Ukraine's application for membership in the EU will show whether Europe has a future, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"It is a crucial time now, beyond any doubt. It is being decided what future of the united Europe is going to be and whether it will have a future at all," Zelensky said at a press briefing with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv on Saturday.
This is why "the European Union's positive response to the Ukrainian application for membership in the EU may become a positive answer to this question - whether the European project has a future at all," the Ukrainian media said, citing Zelensky.
Public opinion surveys conducted among the European population have shown that people support Ukraine in its drive to become an EU member, he said.
"The European project, for sure, cannot be considered complete without Ukraine," he said.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, for his part, and von der Leyen discussed the possibility of issuing non-repayable grants to Ukrainian small and medium-sized business and the Ukraine Recovery Plan.
"Ukraine is rapidly moving toward the European Union and expects that its accession to the EU's common customs and payment space will become the next step of our European integration. I am grateful to Ursula von der Leyen for her support of our country," Shmyhal said on Telegram after the meeting in Kyiv.
Ukraine is continuing its reforms: the Ukrainian Armed Forces are being brought in line with NATO standards, the Green Deal is being introduced, rapid steps are being taken to digitalize all state services, the prime minister said. Furthermore, the EU will soon approve Ukraine's accession to the NCTS joint customs transit system, and a positive decision is expected to be made on Ukraine's entry into the SEPA joint payment area and the free roaming area, as well as on granting EU candidate country status to Ukraine, he said.
"All of them are practical steps as part of Ukraine's integration into the European Union, and they will make both sides even stronger," Shmyhal said.