by Tom Balmforth and Olena Harmash
KYIV (Reuters) – European Council President Charles Michel and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky warned on Tuesday of the difficulty of discussions planned at a European summit next month to decide whether to open formal negotiations with Ukraine for its accession to the European Union.
On a surprise visit to Kyiv, Charles Michel declared during a press conference alongside Volodimir Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who also hopes to be able to begin formal talks with Brussels, that he would work to overcome the challenges.
Volodimir Zelensky, for his part, stressed to journalists that for his country, “the December decision is a source of motivation, of mobilization. It is a decision which will help Ukraine to believe that there is justice. “
The leader also warned that differences within the EU over the opening of formal accession negotiations with Ukraine could raise questions on other issues, such as vital financial aid to Kyiv or sanctions taken. by Brussels against Russia following the offensive launched in Ukraine in February 2022.
The European summit on December 14 and 15 will be “difficult but I have no intention of giving up”, said Charles Michel, adding that the world needed a strong EU to guarantee stability and prosperity.
This visit by Charles Michel came as Ukraine celebrates the tenth anniversary of the pro-European Maidan uprising, during which the Moscow-backed president was overthrown.
The European Council president hailed Ukraine’s “remarkable” progress and told journalists he would work to convince EU member states to open formal accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Moldova.
Kyiv and Chisinau have embarked on a range of reforms aimed at convincing EU leaders they can meet the bloc’s standards, as pessimistic signals were sent to both countries ahead of next month’s summit. .
The Ukrainian Parliament has given the first green light to the adoption of anti-corruption bills in order to follow recommendations from Brussels in this area.
Ukraine, which gained independence from Russia in 1991, celebrates the pro-democracy and pro-West revolutions of 2004 and 2014 on Dignity Day.
Volodimir Zelensky addressed the nation in a video in which he said Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU were a “romantic dream” two decades ago, but are now a “reality.”
After the 2014 revolution, again described on Tuesday by Russia as a foreign-backed coup, Russian forces annexed the Crimean peninsula and supported an insurrection in eastern Ukraine.
(Reporting Tom Balmforth, Yuliia Dysa, Dan Peleschuk; French version by Zhifan Liu and Jean Terzian, editing by Blandine Hénault and Tangi Salaün)
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