Von der Leyen pops up in Kyiv to debate Ukraine’s EU bid – POLITICO

European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Kyiv on Saturday to debate Ukraine’s bid to hitch the EU with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Von der Leyen, on her second go to to Kyiv since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine, indicated that the Fee ought to be capable to full its evaluation of whether or not the nation must be granted candidate standing to hitch the EU throughout the coming week. 

“The discussions in the present day will allow us to finalize our evaluation by the tip of subsequent week,” Von der Leyen stated in a press release, whereas stressing that the method “is a merit-based path ahead.”

Von der Leyen has championed Ukraine’s bid, saying there’s no query that the nation belongs in “the European household.” 

But different key gamers, notably Germany and France, have voiced reservations about accelerating Ukraine’s EU membership bid, a course of that often takes a few years. 

Ukrainian leaders have pushed the EU to grant candidate standing, insisting that they don’t need particular therapy and are ready to satisfy the EU’s stringent entry necessities.