EU Commission Pres Von Der Leyen: Ukraine EU Membership Fast-Tracked

EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen today met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv today and visited Bucha, the site of reported Russian war crimes.

• In a statement released a short time ago Von der Leyen outlined a new EU strategy for Ukraine. Most notably an apparent fast-tracking of EU membership.
• 'Ukraine belongs in the European family. We have heard your request, loud and clear. And today, we are here to give you a first, positive answer. In this envelope, dear Volodymyr, there is an important step towards EU membership... This is where your path towards the European Union begins. We will be at your disposal 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to work on this common basis... And due to our association agreement, Ukraine is already closely aligned with our Union. So we will accelerate this process as much as we can, while ensuring that all conditions are respected.'
• The statement also congratulates Slovakia on delivery of an S-300 missile defence system today, opening the door for more overt offensive weaponry to be dispatched to Kyiv: 'In addition, EU Member States are delivering military equipment on an unprecedented scale. Slovakia is a shining example for that.'
• The full statement can be read here: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_22_2381