Ukraine to be joining EU under special circumstances - Bankova

Ukraine will join the European Union under completely different geopolitical circumstances than was the case with the neighboring countries.

That’s according to Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the President's Office, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Ukraine will join the EU under completely different geopolitical circumstances than Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Baltic states. It will be a completely different situation. The situation of our victory, and this will also add additional weight," Zhovkva said.

He noted that, just like the country’s top leadership, he is counting on a political decision from the European Council in December. "Everything will start with a positive decision in December. The next stage will be the holding of an intergovernmental conference, at which Ukraine will have a so-called negotiating framework,” Zhovkva noted. “This will effectively mean the opening of negotiations. And further, based on the fact that the agreement on accession to the EU has 35 chapters, they will cover all sectors of the economy.”

Zhovkva added that separate delegations will be working on each of these chapters. And now there is no way to predict exactly when these negotiations can complete. Each country that joined the European Union had followed its own path.

According to the official, Ukraine and the European Commission are currently working “very fruitfully”. After receiving the European Commission's report on Ukraine within the framework of the EU enlargement package, the authorities continue their work. President Volodymyr Zelensky is in constant contact with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, as well as the leaders of other EU member states "There will be a positive decision (a political decision from the European Council-ed.). I think that a very important brick of this decision has already been laid by the current decision," added the deputy head of the President’s Office.

Zhovkva also emphasized that the head of state is working with parliament to ensure that all the remaining relevant legislative changes are introduced and voted on, "and that we work ahead of the recommendations as always."

As reported by Ukrinform, the European Commission published its annual report on EU enlargement, in which it recommended that the European Council open negotiations on enlargement with Ukraine and Moldova.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine welcomed the decision of the European Commission, noting that today the history of Ukraine and the whole of Europe has taken the right step.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal officially received from the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Maternova, the European Commission report on Ukraine within the framework of the EU enlargement package.