Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the EU-Ukraine summit has said Ukraine's course toward the European Union remains unchanged.
"Ukrainians want to live in European Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview with POLITICO.
"They understand that this is the way to be a member of the EU. I believe that we are mentally more European than, sorry, some EU countries," Zelensky said.
Zelensky leads a country at war, and in the interview he said he will arrive to meet with EU leaders on Tuesday, bearing a request and an offer.
Read alsoEU-Ukraine summit to be held in Brussels on Oct 6The request is that the EU continue, or even step up, its support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia – by maintaining tough sanctions against Moscow, and further developing economic and political ties with Kyiv.
The offer is to help manufacture a coronavirus vaccine once an effective immunization is ready for mass production.
Zelensky believes Ukraine has come very well prepared for the strategically important event, the President's Office says.
"We have finally voted in bills on electronic communications, blood donation. A draft law on water transport in Ukraine is already being considered. We have also voted important laws on concession and deregulation. They are not populist bills. Also, there are complex reforms supported by the EU, in particular land reform. You do not know how difficult the implementation of the land reform is. For 30 years, throughout the years of our independence, no one could pass this reform. I think we are ready for this summit," Zelensky summed up.
EU summit with Ukraine: Background
The previous EU-Ukraine summit took place in Kyiv on July 8, 2019. The EU was represented at the summit by the then presidents of the European Council Donald Tusk and the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and Ukraine – by President Zelensky.
Earlier, the 22nd Ukraine-EU summit was scheduled to be held in Brussels on October 1, but was slated over a delay in EU leaders' meeting.
On September 22, Zelensky said that representatives of Ukraine and the European Union would discuss the creation of a negotiating platform for the de-occupation of Crimea.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen was self-isolating the day before the annual Ukraine-EU summit was to begin.
