Zelensky: We will implement everything necessary to advance through each chapter of our relations with EU

Membership negotiations with the European Union have officially begun. Ukraine has been working towards this for a long time, and it will definitely implement everything necessary to advance through every chapter of its relations with the EU and create an agreement on Ukraine's accession.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address, Ukrinform reports.

Below is the full address of the head of state:

Dear Ukrainians!

Today has been a very eventful day.

We have officially started negotiations on membership with the European Union. This is a historic result. We have been working on it for a long time – and now we have held the first intergovernmental conference, and we will definitely implement everything necessary to advance through each chapter of our relations with the EU and to create a treaty – a treaty of Ukraine's accession.

The second thing today is our legal battle. There are new warrants from the International Criminal Court for Russian murderers. Shoigu, Gerasimov – your path to The Hague is open. There is also a decision of the European Court of Human Rights on Russia's responsibility for everything that has been committed in our Crimea against people and against the law. The occupier will be held accountable for that.

The third thing is a just peace for Ukraine, and our steps, aimed at fully restoring security. After the Peace Summit, we already have the eighth participant who signed the Joint Communiqué, and we are only increasing our pressure on Russia for the sake of a fair end to this war. And we are preparing working groups. As early as July, we will have new specifics aimed at achieving peace.

And as promised, we are working to bring all of our people back home, to Ukraine, from Russian captivity. Every single one of them. We do not forget anyone. Today, 90 more Ukrainian families are happy. 90 warriors have been brought back from captivity. Defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, from different front directions. They are warriors of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Border Guard Service, the Navy. Most of them are privates and sergeants. And we will bring back all the others in the same manner. We seek the truth about everyone – where the person is, what condition they are in, and what it will take to get them back. I thank our exchange team. Yermak, Budanov, Maliuk, Lubinets, Klymenko – thank you guys! I thank the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in making today's event possible. We continue this work.

I thank everyone who believes, fights, helps and works for Ukraine to achieve such results – in protecting our people, strengthening our state, and bringing us closer to our peace. The peace that Ukrainians deserve!

Glory to Ukraine!