Zelenskyy urges EU to set Ukraine membership date as war-ending diplomacy tool

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday stressed the importance of setting a clear date for Kyiv's EU accession, describing it as a crucial element of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia. Addressing the European Parliament via video conference during an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels marking four years since the war began, Zelenskyy thanked Europeans for their "constant attention, constant support, and firm position."

Timeline as Strategic Tool

"We never chose this war. We didn't start it, and we did not provoke it, and we do everything we can to stop it," Zelenskyy said, adding Moscow has repeatedly brought "a very cruel, ruthless anti-European project" to the continent. He stressed that a defined EU membership timeline is "very important as part of the diplomacy process right now, within all the diplomacy aimed at ending the war." He warned: "If there is no date, if there is no such guarantee, (Putin) will find a way to block Ukraine for decades by dividing you, by dividing Europe."

Security and Sanctions

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is holding Russia back but has not yet secured lasting safety guarantees, emphasizing security can only be ensured "together in Europe, together with America," despite transatlantic unity challenges. He urged European countries to apply the "full range of protection" against Russia, from strong sanctions to continued civilian support. "There must be no place in the free world for Russian oil, for Russian tankers, Russian banks. ... The time has come to fully ban all participants in Russia's aggression from entire Europe."

EU Accession Context

Ukraine formally applied for EU membership shortly after the war started in February 2022 and was granted candidate status later that year. Zelenskyy's address comes as European leaders debate enlargement timelines amid the continent's shifting security landscape.