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Updated June 22nd, 2022 at 11:34 IST

Zelenskyy thanks leaders of Ireland, Spain & Croatia for backing Ukraine's EU bid

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Marti.

Reported by: Anwesha Majumdar
Zelenskyy
Image: AP | Image:self
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Amid the brutal war between Moscow and Kyiv in Eastern Europe, war-torn Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Marti over the phone on Tuesday. Taking to Twitter, President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to all the three leaders for supporting Ukraine's application to join the European Union (EU).  

While speaking with Prime Minister Plenković, Zelenskyy thanked Croatia for granting Ukraine candidate status on the eve of the EU summit. He further added, “The #3SI decision to involve Ukraine as a participant will enhance Ukraine-Croatia's practical cooperation in energy, transit & infrastructure spheres.” 

Furthermore, the Ukrainian President held a conversation with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Marti on the eve of the EUCO meeting. Zelenskyy also thanked Ireland for actively supporting Ukraine's European aspirations.  

Zelenskyy stated that he spoke with Spain's PM and talked about the current food crisis as well as potential implications of the eagerly anticipated NATO Summit. 

Apart from this, the President of Ukraine spoke with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, to discuss Ukraine's application to join the EU, which Viktor Orban has stated he supports. As per media reports, Orban also stressed that he has planned to speak for Ukraine's position at the forthcoming EU summit on June 23–24 in Brussels and that the EU should eliminate the bureaucratic barriers to Ukraine's EU membership as soon as possible. 

 Zelenskyy and Orban also spoke about the refugee crisis in Ukraine, since Hungary has already taken in almost 800,000 Ukrainian migrants and intends to keep doing so. 

Senior EU ministers supported giving Ukraine "candidate status"

Meanwhile, following the visits of leaders from France, Italy, and Germany to embattled Ukraine and getting a "first-hand" look at Russia's ruthless actions, it seems that the EU members have come to an agreement to give Kyiv membership. During a meeting on Tuesday with senior EU ministers, the ministers supported giving Ukraine "candidate status". 

Almost all of the 27 existing members of the Union expressed support for the inclusion of Ukraine in the bloc, as per Clement Beaune, France's EU minister. He went on to say that the Union will make the official announcement this week during the next EU Summit. The minister, whose nation now holds the rotating EU presidency, stated that members have also promised to help Moldova in obtaining EU membership in addition to Kyiv. 

On June 21, Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, remarked that in order for Ukraine to continue serving as a "symbol of hope," the EU should grant its candidate status, TASS reported. She said that Ukraine is battling for European principles. Metsola emphasised that Ukraine has been striving for democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty, freedom, and justice during a news conference in Helsinki. If the European Union shuts its door on Ukraine, she believes, it would be "amiss" for the EU. 

(Image: AP)

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Published June 22nd, 2022 at 11:34 IST

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