Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed an application formally requesting that Ukraine join the European Union, according to a photo posted by Ukrainian officials on Feb. 28.
Zelensky urged the EU to allow the former Soviet republic to immediately join the bloc, saying that membership would put Ukrainians on “an equal footing” with other members.
“I’m sure it’s fair,” he said. “I’m sure it’s possible.”
Zelensky’s social media accounts posted a photo of the signing on the Ukrainian parliament’s Twitter account. The move to sign the application was made on the fifth day of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, as delegations from both countries met at a location near the Belarusian border.
“We appeal to the European Union to urgently admit Ukraine using a new procedure,” he said in a video message posted earlier on Feb. 28. “We are grateful to partners for standing with us. But our goal is to be with all Europeans and to be equal to them. I am sure we deserve it. I am sure it is possible.”
Zelensky said he spoke with the presidents of Portugal, Lithuania, France, and Poland as well as the prime ministers of the UK, Belgium, and Spain on Feb. 27.
“Support of our anti-war coalition is unconditional and unprecedented,” he said.
At this stage, Ukraine is many years away from reaching the standards for achieving EU membership, and the 27-nation bloc is expansion-weary and unlikely to take on new members any time soon. Also, any addition to the EU must be approved unanimously, and some member states have complicated approval procedures.
On Feb. 28, a top adviser to Ukraine’s president said the first round of talks with Russia had ended and that both delegations had returned home for consultations in their capitals.
