EU membership negotiations with Ukraine may well start in December – Finnish PM

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has stated at a meeting of the party council of the Coalition Party that negotiations between the EU and Ukraine regarding membership of the union could begin in December.

Source: the Finnish TV and radio company Yle, reported by European Pravda

Quote: "In my opinion, Ukraine has progressed quite well in fulfilling the tasks that it has been set [for joining the EU]," the head of the Finnish government said.

Orpo said a report would be prepared by the end of this week on how candidate countries have progressed in fulfilling the requirements for joining the European Union.

Sirpa Pietikäinen, a member of the European Parliament from the Coalition Party, also believes that negotiations with Ukraine will begin.

Background:

• In a video message to the leaders of EU member states at a recent summit in Brussels, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on them to support the start of EU membership negotiations with Ukraine at the end of the year.
• There have been reports in the press that the European Commission intends to present a positive assessment of Ukraine's progress in implementing the reforms required for EU membership on 8 November, but this assessment may contain additional conditions.
• Reportedly, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, is likely to visit Ukraine in early November, which may indicate that the assessment of Ukraine's progress in the "candidate" reforms will be positive.

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