Ukraine to Receive Written Assessment of EU Recommendations' Implementation Soon

In the coming days, Ukraine will receive a written assessment on the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations to start negotiations on joining the European Union.

"We are expecting a written assessment in the coming days," said Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine.

Stefanchuk said that a series of negotiations would follow.

"We hope that at the end of this year, the European Council will decide to open negotiations on Ukraine's full membership in the European Union," he added.

Stefanchuk said that the Verkhovna Rada had fulfilled all seven recommendations made by the European Commission on the adoption of the necessary laws.

"The final legislative act on the so-called PEPs was voted in the Verkhovna Rada," Stefanchuk said.

In his opinion, the fact that negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union will open at the end of this year will be an event "that is several levels higher than even the status of candidacy".

Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union would begin in the first half of 2024, when Belgium holds the presidency of the EU Council.

Politico reported a similar scenario. Its sources said that EU leaders would decide to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession by the end of 2023, but in fact, they would start a little later.