Ukraine may join EU one year after start of pre-accession talks - Ukrainian FM

MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba expects his country and the European Union to start pre-accession negotiations as early as 2023, while the process of receiving full-fledged membership in the EU will take about a year.

"Our goal is to start negotiations on EU membership in 2023. I think that it will take about a year, when Ukraine will receive full-fledged membership. This will happen much earlier that many expect," Ukrainian media quoted Kuleba as saying in a speech at a Chatham House event.

This should happen "if the EU does not put forth any artificial conditions or procedures" that could slow down this process, he said.

"Ukraine has proven that it is ready and is doing its homework much faster than anyone has expected," Kuleba said.

"The EU has been saying for 20 years that Ukraine needs reforms to gain candidate status, but we hear now that it is the EU that must reform itself in order for Ukraine to become its member," he said.