Exclusive: Zelenskyy says ‘Ukraine’s future is in the European Union’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his country’s commitment to joining the European Union, telling Euronews’ The Europe Conversation that Kyiv’s future lies within the bloc.

Asked about the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU by 2030, Zelenskyy said during Euronews’ Enlargement Summit that although it may sound like “science fiction,” he would “like to believe that Ukraine will be in the EU before that date.”

The Ukrainian leader went on to caveat expectations, emphasising his desire for the process to be conducted “in a fair way,” and only once Russia’s full-scale invasion has ended.

“I would like that to take place in a fair way when Ukraine is standing for itself and when the war is over.”

Zelenskyy’s comments coincide with the European Commission’s annual enlargement report released on Tuesday. It praised Ukraine’s “remarkable commitment” and progress towards EU accession, while urging the war-torn country to reverse “negative trends,” particularly in the area of corruption.

On Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the 2030 threshold as a “realistic goal” for EU candidate members, while stressing the need for Ukraine to “sustain the momentum” and avoid “any backsliding.”

Addressing this assessment, Zelenskyy told Euronews that the country was “doing everything possible” to prepare for EU membership, including bolstering anti-corruption measures.

Asked about the prospect of candidate countries joining the bloc initially without full voting rights, an idea being floated among EU officials, the Ukrainian leader made his position clear-cut: “If we speak about EU membership, it has to be fully-fledged.”

“In my opinion, you cannot be a ‘semi’ or ‘demi’ member of the EU,” he said. “Ukraine is fighting for its independence, and our future is in the EU.”

As it stands, the European Commission believes Ukraine has met the prerequisite conditions to open negotiations on three out of six clusters, which must be fulfilled in order for it to be granted EU membership.

But the opening of those talks is being held back by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is vetoing the move.

Zelenskyy qualified Orban’s vetoing of Kyiv’s ambitions to join the EU as an act of “specific support” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president reiterated his commitment to meet the requirements needed to make Ukraine viable for the opening of all the clusters “by the end of the year.”

Europe’s support must go hand in hand with US backing

Zelenskyy hailed the EU’s latest sanction package against Russia, which was adopted in late October, as a means of pressuring Moscow’s economy, as well as squeezing its war budget.

“Undoubtedly, without the help of the leaders of the European Union, it [the war effort] would be very difficult,” he said.

“Europe is also helping with gas imports and in the delivery of equipment to recover power and electricity supply,” added Zelenskyy, whose country’s energy infrastructure is being heavily targeted by Russian drone and missile strikes ahead of its fourth wartime winter.

The Ukrainian leader specifically expressed gratitude towards Germany for supplying his country with two US-made Patriot missiles.

Stressing the importance of US support, Zelenskyy also praised the Trump administration for recently adopting sanctions targeting Russian oil companies, in a move considered a boost for Kyiv.

Despite this support, the Ukrainian leader emphasised the need for the US to supply Tomahawk missiles as a deterrent against Russia, which Trump has so far refused to do.

“The US needs to be open to the opportunities of long-distance weapons. Even as (a) deterrent factor, we need to have them,” he said. “It will put decisive pressure on Russia.”

‘Energy terror’

Zelenskyy dialled in to a video call with Euronews from Pokrovsk, in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, where he has been meeting with frontline soldiers.

“They are at war not only for the sake of their own families, not only for their own homes, undoubtedly it is important, but for the Ukrainian future, the future of Ukraine in the European Union.”

Moscow has intensified its missile attacks targeting Ukraine this autumn, with October marking the month with the most recorded strikes since early 2023: a strategy which amounts to “energy terror” for Zelenskyy.

“Putin would like to achieve chaos, so that people don’t have power during the winter, nor a water supply. This is how he sees his success, but he will not succeed,” he said.

“Russia has intensified [its attacks] only because they don’t succeed on the land, in the front line. That is why Putin doesn’t have anything to sell to his own society.”