Zelensky Sets Clear Priorities to Speed up Ukraine’s EU Accession Bid

Ukraine has set clear priorities for speeding up its EU accession bid, with two negotiation clusters opened since mid-June and four more still in preparation. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement on Tuesday, Aug. 4, he has agreed with three priorities with Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, the new deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Vsevolod Chentsov, and the deputy heads of the Office Serhiy Kyslytsya and Ihor Zhovkva, which will be implemented going forward.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “We have identified directions for more intensive work with the EU,” Zelensky said, adding that “on our side, everything has been done to ensure the decision [on Ukraine’s accession] is positive.” Three priorities for faster integration Ukraine’s first priority is pursuing full EU membership as a core objective. “We view this not only as a political or economic task, but as a security task – for us and for the EU,” Zelensky said. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has increasingly become an important factor in the EU’s own security. Kyiv’s battlefield experience against Russian drones and missiles has turned its military into a source of expertise that the EU now needs, particularly as EU’s airspace faces repeated incursions by Russian drones – several of which have been intercepted by NATO jets over the last few weeks. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Greenlights New SBU Operations Against Russia Acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad briefed Zelensky on the agency’s August priorities as the president approved new operations and further internal restructuring. Over the weekend of July 24-26, Romania downed three Russian drones in three days over its territory, while Poland officially confirmed on July 31 that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile entered its airspace during Russia’s latest mass missile attack on Ukraine. Ukraine’s second priority is using every available channel of sectoral integration so Ukraine is perceived as “an integral part of familiar European processes,” according to Zelensky. Ukraine’s third priority is ensuring practical support from Brussels and European capitals to help Ukraine withstand the coming winter, amid growing fears that Russia may target heat and energy infrastructure, alongside water supplies. Six EU accession clusters in total Ukraine’s membership bid is split into six negotiating clusters, each grouping policy areas that a candidate country must align with EU standards before that set of talks can close. Ukraine has opened two negotiation clusters since mid-June, and is now pushing to open two more, though Hungary’s objection has delayed the next screening approval to Sept. 1. The “Fundamentals” cluster, covering the judiciary and anti-corruption reforms, was formally opened on June 15, while the second cluster it opened, “External Relations,” followed on July 14. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.