Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will push for talks on his country’s membership with the European Union when he hosts a summit with EU leaders on Friday.
Zelensky set the tone of the meeting earlier telling the bloc’s chief Ursula von der Leyen when she arrived in Kyiv Thursday, “I believe that Ukraine deserves to start negotiations on EU membership this year.”
“Only together a strong Ukraine and a strong European Union can protect the life we value,” Zelensky said.
EU leaders granted candidate status to Ukraine in June last year, just months after Russia sent troops into the pro-Western country. But the path to full membership remains long, and could take years.
The summit is happening as Russian forces are pressing Ukrainian troops in the eastern Donetsk region, now the epicenter of fighting.
Moscow has been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the industrial region for months in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle of the invasion.
Deja vu
German tanks are again threatening Russia just like during World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a ceremony commemorating the Red Army’s victory against Nazi troops 80 years ago in Stalingrad.
“It’s unbelievable but true. We are again being threatened by German Leopard tanks,” Putin said, referring to the tanks that Berlin recently agreed to send to Ukraine as requested by Zelensky.
Putin also insisted that Russia is weathering the barrage of sanctions imposed by Ukraine’s Western allies and will continue its military campaign in Ukraine.
Von der Leyen said sanctions were already “eroding” Russia’s economy with the EU’s oil price cap of its gas alone was costing Moscow around 160 million euros every day.
She said the EU was looking to finalize fresh sanctions against Russia by 24 February, the first anniversary of the conflict’s start. WITH AFP