Ukraine to become EU member in future - Zelensky

MOSCOW. June 24 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is confident that Ukraine will become a full-fledged member of the European Union.

"From this day on, this book has no other possible endings but one: Ukraine will become a member of the EU in the near future. From this day on, it is fixed at the official level," the Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying in a video address circulated by the press service of the President's Office.

The decision to grant EU candidate country status to Ukraine "is a point of no return," he said.

"Today it is recognized: Ukraine is not a bridge, not a buffer zone between Europe and Asia, not a sphere of influence, not a 'grey' zone, not a transit territory. Ukraine is a future equal partner for at least 27 EU countries," Zelensky said.

From this day on, Ukraine can join the work of individual institutions and new programs of the EU, access to which is limited for third countries.

"Today we got rid of this humiliating definition. In essence, Ukraine has never been a third country, but this is how we were called in official terminology. We got rid of it. We are not a third, a tenth or a hundredth country. We are a future member of the European Union," Zelensky said, adding that he expects the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada to pass all European integration laws.

"The next steps are known - we have recommendations from the European Union. We expect the Verkhovna Rada to approve European integration laws as a priority," he said.