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Zelenskyy says he hopes Ukraine will join the EU soon

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President

04 November 2022 13:03 (UTC +04:00)

"I see no cause for concern in terms of support for Ukraine on the part of American society," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his interview with El Pais, APA reports.

Answering question of the journalist on whether the US will continue or not its support to Ukraine with the current speed after elections in November, Zelenskyy stresses that no matter who is in power in the US, they must keep in mind that the majority of American society stands with Ukraine.

“I see no cause for concern in terms of support for Ukraine on the part of American society. We will respect their choice, but I think they will also decide to choose that their own society is in favor of helping Ukraine and in favor of fighting for democracy, freedom and international and humanitarian law.”

The Ukrainian leader concedes that a political change could bring “a slower process” in terms of bilateral decisions, but he notes that everyone expected a cooling of relations with Italy following the victory of the far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni, or with the recent changes in government in the United Kingdom. Yet, in his experience, this has not been the case.

Responding to the question on Ukraine's EU membership, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine’s future inevitably depends on its accession to the European Union: "The war started because Russia does not recognize us an independent country, a European country. The same thing will happen in Belarus, where the people also want to be independent. Why should Russia decide how people in Belarus should live? Not every country has to go through this torment that we are experiencing because Russia will not make it easy for Belarus, Moldova or Georgia. I hope that the leaders of the EU will show courage,” he concludes, acknowledging that there are some EU members that “do not want to accelerate the process” of integration. Even so, his forecast is that Ukraine will join the EU. “I do not want to say sooner or later, because I believe it is already late.”