"We Have a Very Ambitious Plan": Shmyhal Tells When Ukraine Is Going to Join the EU

Ukraine plans to join the European Union within the next two years, as Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said in his interview with Politico.

According to the Prime Minister, the preliminary negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union may take place this year.

"We have a very ambitious plan to join the European Union within the next two years. So we expect that this year, in 2023, we can already have this pre-entry stage of negotiations," the Prime Minister said.

Speaking about the upcoming summit, Shmyhal said that Ukraine expects "a substantial leap forward”, particularly in specific areas, such as an agreement on a visa-free regime for industrial goods; the suspension of customs duties on Ukrainian exports for another year; and “active progress” on joining the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) payments scheme and the inclusion of Ukraine into the EU’s mobile roaming area.

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