In a visit to Lviv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, outlining Kyiv’s plan to begin talks on joining the European Union within the current year. The message appeared in a post on Zelensky’s Telegram channel and reflects a strategic push from Kyiv to accelerate integration with EU structures and standards.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine is committed to rapid progress on the European Commission’s recommendations and aims to open EU accession negotiations this year. The president stressed that Ukraine will complete the required reforms in line with EU benchmarks and expected timelines, illustrating a determined path toward closer political and economic alignment with the bloc. This emphasis follows years of reform efforts across governance, rule of law, and market transparency as Kyiv seeks to meet the accession criteria and gain momentum for negotiations.
During the meeting, Zelensky thanked Metsola for her leadership in backing Ukraine and for significant decisions taken by the European Parliament related to Kyiv’s situation. He highlighted the March decision last year by the Parliament to recognize Ukraine as a candidate for EU membership, viewing it as a crucial political milestone that reinforces sustained European support. The dialogue underscored shared interests in regional stability, security commitments, and the economic integration that would accompany broader EU engagement for Ukraine and neighboring economies. In the broader European arena, support from lawmakers is seen as a catalyst for reform and investment, which resonates with policymakers and observers in North America who are watching Kyiv’s reform trajectory closely.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, acknowledged at the Munich Security Conference that Ukraine is already part of the European family. He framed accession as a matter of institutionalizing existing decisions, suggesting that the practical work of aligning institutions, regulations, and governance with EU norms remains the next essential step. This perspective aligns with ongoing efforts to create a transparent, rules-based framework that facilitates closer ties and predictable cooperation between Ukraine and EU member states, an outcome that would also influence transatlantic economic policy and security coordination. As Ukraine continues to pursue a path toward membership, observers in Canada and the United States monitor how these developments interact with global supply chains, energy partnerships, and regional diplomacy.
Ukraine officially submitted its bid for EU membership on February 28 of the previous year, signaling a formal opening to a multi-stage process. A few months later, Kyiv received the status of a candidate country, marking a formal recognition that the EU considers Ukraine a potential future member once it completes the necessary reforms. The sequence of applications and candidacy signals demonstrates Ukraine’s resilience and its strategic aim to anchor itself within European political and economic frameworks. In parallel, international partners on both sides of the Atlantic continue to discuss how Ukraine’s path toward accession could reshape regional security guarantees, trade relations, and joint investments that support modernization and resilience across Ukrainian institutions and society. This broader context is relevant for policymakers, businesses, and citizens who are charting the implications of a deeper EU integration for North American markets and global alliances.