The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, appealed to the European Union to set a clear date for his country’s accession to the bloc and to maintain pressure on Moscow through sanctions, in an intervention held via videoconference in the European Parliament (EP), which marked four years since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
“It is important for us to have a clear date for our accession to the EU,” Zelensky stated, emphasizing that without guarantees, Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to try to divide Europe.
The Ukrainian leader also defended the continuation of European aid to Ukraine and criticized Hungary’s blockage of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which is intended to restrict Russia’s war economy.
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“There should be no place in the free world for Russian oil, Russian banks, oil tankers, or any Russian war criminals. It is time to completely prohibit the entry into Europe of all participants in Russia’s aggression,” Zelensky added.
The president of Ukraine emphasized that Ukraine did not provoke the war and is doing everything possible to end the conflict, appealing for the maintenance of cooperation between the European Union and the United States. “Today we must remain as determined and strong as we were on the first day of the Russian invasion; the threat has not diminished,” he stressed.
The session at the European Parliament included the participation of the European Commission and 120 members of national parliaments, as well as other European personalities.
The Russian military offensive, which began on February 24, 2022, has caused the most severe security crisis in Europe since World War II, affecting millions of people and profoundly altering the geopolitical map of the continent.
Zelensky also emphasized that maintaining European support is crucial for Ukrainian resistance and to ensure that Russia cannot circumvent the sanctions or weaken the unity of the European bloc.
