Zelenskyy says ‘time is right’ for Ukraine to start process of joining EU
Key takeaways
- Ukraine has intensified efforts to join the EU after Hungary’s former prime minister, Viktor Orban, was ousted in parliamentary elections last month.
- Zelenskyy’s push for EU membership comes as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to advance their interests on the battlefield.
- The head of the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine said on Saturday the death toll from a drone attack a day earlier had risen to 10.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
His comments come as both Kyiv and Moscow try to advance their interests on the battlefield.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels [File: Omar Havana/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters Published On 23 May 202623 May 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told European Union leaders that now is the time to begin the process of Ukraine’s accession to the bloc, describing a proposal for associate membership as “unfair”.
Zelenskyy said in a letter to EU leaders on Friday that associate membership would leave Ukraine “voiceless” because it would not have voting rights, which would prevent Kyiv from advancing its interests, the Reuters news agency reported.