Ukrainian PM Reiterates Kyiv's Plans To Join EU, NATO

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal says his country has accelerated reforms as it continues to move toward its goal of membership in the European Union and NATO.

Speaking during an official visit to Germany on March 19, Shmyhal said during talks with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that “Ukraine’s membership in the EU in the medium term is a win-win situation not only for the Ukrainian people, but also for Germany and the EU as a whole.”

“Gradual integration into the EU internal market is on our priority agenda at the moment. In particular, it concerns the integration of Ukraine into the digital and energy markets of the European Union,” Shmyhal said.

Shmyhal also expressed gratitude to Germany for support in helping Ukraine obtain the status of a NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner in June 2020.

“At this point, we have stepped up the reform process to receive an invitation and join the NATO Membership Action Plan as the next step. We will be grateful to our German partners for their support and assistance in that matter as well,” Shmyhal said.

He did not specify which reforms he was referring to.

Kyiv’s aspirations to join NATO and EU have increased since Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 and threw support to pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s east, where more than 13,000 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict since April 2014.