Zelenskyy Begins Bilats w/EU Leaders; Calls For Accession, Jets & Sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is holding a series of bilateral talks with EU member state leaders following his addresses earlier today to the European Parliament and the European Council. During these speeches and in press conferences Zelenskyy has sought to emphasise his desire to see Ukraine swiftly admitted to the EU, for EU members to supply Ukraine with jets and pilot training, and for sanctions on Russia to be escalated further.

• The first of these is unlikely in the short term. While Brussels is keen to keep Ukraine on a pro-EU track, there are requirements regarding corruption, rule of law, and the structure of Ukraine's economy that will delay a rapid entry into the bloc.
• Regarding jets, a number of EU states have either ruled out sending them (Belgian PM saying they have none to spare) or have said they will send them once other nations with greater stockpiles do so (Poland). However, as was the case with the provision of main battle tanks, the needle is moving slowly but surely in the direction of eventually providing jets to Kyiv.
• On sanctions Zelenskyy called for the sanctioning of Russia's state atomic energy agency Rosatom. This is a difficult prospect for the EU given that some countries, notably Hungary, still operate Russian designed, maintained, and fueled nuclear power plants.