Von der Leyen: Ukraine Has Achieved a Lot on Its Way to the EU, but Accession Is a Merit-Based Process

Ukraine has achieved a lot on its way to joining the European Union after receiving candidate status, but full accession to the EU is a merit-based process. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her annual State of the European Union speech. “We know that it is not an easy path. EU accession is based on merit - and the Commission will always uphold this principle. It requires hard work and leadership,” von der Leyen claimed. “We see the great strides Ukraine has made since received candidate status. And we see the determination of other candidate countries to implement reforms,” the EC president added. Von der Leyen also recalled that the European Commission has offered an additional 50 billion euros over 4 years for investments and reforms in Ukraine. “This will help to build the future of Ukraine to restore a modern and prosperous country,” she said. Recall, von der Leyen announced that the European Commission will begin a review of EU policy and will propose its ideas on how the European Union should function, in connection with the future accession of new members. She also said that the European Commission will propose to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens who had been granted this status in the EU due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.