European Commission 'confident' Ukraine’s EU candidacy to be approved at Brussels summit

Chief of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday expressed confidence that Ukraine's EU membership bid will be approved, adding that the country will officially earn the candidate status ahead of a key EU summit in Brussels scheduled for later this month. "I firmly believe that we will get a positive decision, that we will get support, that the course has now been set," von der Leyen told German public broadcaster ARD. "Of course, this is also a historic decision that the European Council now has to make, but the preparations are good," she said. Furthermore, the EU leader added that she was "confident" of Ukrainian prospects of EU membership although it may have taken some time. 

EU Commission has also recenly supported designating both Ukraine and its neighbour Moldova as candidates to join the European Union. The Commission is expected to discuss the two nations' recommendation at the summit in Brussels that will be held on Thursday and Friday. There has been no unanimous approach taken yet by the bloc members on Moldova's accession to EU. Austria's government is also arguing for the membership of Bosnia-Herzegovina, meanwhile Romania has been lobbying for Georgia as well. 

"Ukraine has made enormous steps forward in the last few years," von der Leyen told the German broadcaster, adding "we want to see even more."

While all the 27 EU member states will have to agree on the candidacy of Ukraine, the heads of the European Union’s biggest members—France, Germany and Italy--have sounded full support of Kyiv's bid. 

Ukraine has done 'everything possible' to get EU candidate status: Zelelnskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier stated that his government has done "all possible things" to access the position of a candidate for European Union membership. In a video message, the President said that they are currently one step away from the completion of full integration with the EU. According to a statement from the Ukrainian President’s office, Zelenskyy said, “The only thing left is to wait for the decision of the European Council next week. And I believe that Ukraine has done everything possible for this step to be positive as well – the decision of the European Council, i.e., the leaders of the EU states.” 

Ukraine deserves the EU candidacy, Zelesnkyy reiterated, adding “Ukrainian values are European values.”He further noted that even in the midst of a conflict, Ukrainian institutions remained resilient and that the “Ukrainian democratic habits have not lost their power even now." The embattled leader continued, "Our rapprochement with the European Union is not only positive for us. This is the greatest contribution to the future of Europe in many years."