A two-day EU-Ukraine Business summit is under way in Brussels, as the bloc looks to deepen economic ties with Kyiv, accelerate Ukraine's recovery and support its path to accession and integration into the EU single market.
Addressing delegates, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that his country joining the EU would be beneficial for the bloc itself.
"Accelerating Ukraine's EU accession is not just a gesture of solidarity, it is an investment in Europe's strength," he said.
"We call on European leaders to fast-track Ukraine's integration and shorten our path to full membership. We call on European businesses to invest in Ukraine as a soon-to-be EU member state. We call on you to invest in the future, a future that will deliver prosperity to the entire European continent."
Ukraine applied for EU membership on 28 February 2022, just four days after Russia's full-scale invasion of the country with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requesting the application be fast-tracked under a "new special procedure."
By 23 June that year, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Ukraine to be immediately be given candidate country status which was granted by the Council the same day.
Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Poland's Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szlapka, warned that, "Putin has never abandoned his imperial ambitions and we sadly were right."
He argued the EU now had a "historic opportunity... to redefine our strategic focus, the paradigm must shift from 'Russia first' to 'Ukraine now'."
Attending the summit virtually, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed his country's backing for Ukraine's membership but urged Kyiv to complete the necessary reforms.
"Italy wants Ukraine to be a full member of the European Union. For this, we will back Kyiv in this way. It's crucial to keep a strong focus on reforms. In this critical effort, you can count on the Italian government," he said.
Hungary's opposition
Euronews asked the European Commissioner for Enlargement if the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán is right when he claims Ukraine's membership would completely destroy the European market, dry out cohesion funds and harm Hungary.
"He is not right," Commissioner Marta Kos said.
"Because we will have Ukraine as one of the members of the EU in the future. We are working on this. 26 EU member states support this vision. We could end all the screening processes this year. So we will be ready when the council will be able to bring the conclusion to open all the clusters (chapters). I am sure that this will be possible this year, but of course we have to work also with Hungary."
Meanwhile, Britain and France were heading a meeting of defence ministers from 30 countries to press ahead with plans to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine to police any future truce agreement with Russia.
Ukrainian government officials and military analysts have said that Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks to maximise pressure on Kyiv and strengthen the Kremlin's negotiating position.
Kyiv believes that as Europe is searching for a new point of equilibrium on geopolitical security, economics and values, the result of the war for Ukraine will be crucial for the continent's future.
