Discussions on Ukraine's EU accession in context of peace negotiations still ongoing – European Commission spox

The European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier at a briefing in Brussels, Ukrinform's correspondent reports.

When asked whether a special procedure for Ukraine’s accession to the EU is being discussed, Mercier replied: "Indeed, the discussions that you are referring to relate to the ongoing peace talks."

At the same time, he noted that at this stage it is impossible to predict the outcome of these discussions.

He recalled the framework program aimed at ensuring Ukraine's future prosperity after a ceasefire, "so these ambitions need to support our goal to make our Union stronger and more independent."

Mercier highly praised Ukraine's steady progress in technical discussions and in advancing reforms, which was also highlighted in the latest enlargement report.

"What we need to see from Ukraine is for this level of determination to be sustained in the long run," he stressed, adding that the EU and Ukraine will continue to work side by side to ensure Ukraine's accession to the EU as quickly as possible.

As reported, Ukraine's representative to the European Union, Vsevolod Chentsov, said in an interview with Ukrinform that Ukraine's phased accession to the EU is not a compromise but a pragmatic tool intended to accelerate the country's integration and properly prepare for it. He noted that the concept itself is not new and has been used in the past.

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