Kyiv – On Sunday, new European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, visited Kyiv on the first day of her five-year term. Accompanied by the newly appointed President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, Kos expressed her commitment to supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government in their efforts to integrate into the European Union.
During a meeting with senior EU and Ukrainian officials, Kos pledged, “I promise to do everything in my power to bring you to the finish line of the negotiation process.”
She acknowledged that Ukraine has made significant strides in implementing necessary reforms, while also stressing that the path to EU membership is challenging and hinges on the progress made by the candidate country. “You can count on our support from Brussels; I am essentially part of your team,” she affirmed.
Kos also held a separate meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishyna. Stefanishyna shared on social media platform X that they agreed to maintain close and regular communication to facilitate an effective association process. “Ukraine is strong and united in its commitment to the changes necessary for EU membership,” she stated.
Since facing Russian aggression in February 2022, Ukraine began its EU accession negotiations in June of this year and is now preparing for the substantive phase, which will commence with discussions on the first set of chapters related to the rule of law. The negotiation framework consists of 33 chapters categorized into six clusters.
On Sunday, European Council President Antonio Costa announced that Kyiv and Brussels aim to open at least two clusters in the first half of 2025. (December 1)
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