Europe (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine’s future prosperity depends on joining the EU, following talks with EU and Canadian leaders.
EU Commission chief comments followed a phone conference on support for Ukraine, its security, and its reconstruction that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz organized between the leaders of Europe and Canada under the Berlin Format.
“Ultimately, the prosperity of a free Ukrainian state lies in accession to the EU. It’s also a key security guarantee in its own right,”
Ursula von der Leyen wrote on US social media company X.
Von der Leyen said:
“Accession doesn’t only benefit countries that join; as the successive waves of enlargement show, the whole of Europe benefits.”
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, expressed gratitude to Merz for calling a leaders’ coordination conference to evaluate the most recent developments in the peace negotiations in Ukraine.
“We are united in our determination to intensify efforts toward a just and sustainable peace,”
he said.
The German chancellor also shared a tweet on X stating that the peace process is being advanced by Ukraine’s partners.
“Transparency and honesty are now required from everyone – including Russia,”
Merz said.
The conversation, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, was “highly useful” for bringing their situational picture of the peace process in Ukraine together. He added that they will continue to collaborate with their Ukrainian and American allies in the days and weeks to come.
Dick Schoof, the prime minister of the Netherlands, stated that efforts to assure strong security “continues unabated.”
According to Donald Tusk, the prime minister of Poland, “peace is on the horizon.”
“All efforts are aimed at achieving lasting peace for Ukraine,”
he said, adding that the Coalition of the Willing will be convening again next week.
The discussions followed US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Sunday meeting in the US state of Florida, where they talked about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump told reporters after the meeting that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and that Moscow will assist, “including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices.”
Additionally, Trump and Zelenskyy spoke over the phone with European leaders on Sunday about “concrete steps” to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Following a meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participated in the more than hour-long call.
What specific EU accession steps has von der Leyen proposed for Ukraine?
Ursula von der Leyen has supported accelerating Ukraine’s EU accession by pushing to open all concession clusters in 2025, following the unprecedentedly nippy completion of bilateral webbing for all chapters by September 2025.
She supports presto- tracking the process despite Hungary’s proscription, emphasizing merit- grounded reforms in Cluster 1( Fundamentals) covering popular institutions, public administration, and profitable criteria as the immediate coming step, with specialized medications advanced under the Danish Council Presidency.
Von der Leyen highlights EU support via political, fiscal, and specialized aid for a 10- point 2026 reform plan, aiming to demonstrate Ukraine’s readiness amid peace addresses, potentially bypassing slower campaigners while securing amicable Council approval.
