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Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday his war-torn country wants to join the European single market before deciding whether to grant Kyiv full EU membership.
“A pressing issue for us is Ukraine’s accession to the EU single market, while we are becoming a member of the EU. I am sure this will happen and it will be one of the most important victories for our country,” he said in a statement with the visit. EU President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference.
Ukraine applied to join the European Union just five days after Russia’s February 24 invasion.
The EU formally accepted Ukraine’s candidacy for membership of the G-27 on June 23, a strong signal of support.
Zelensky thanked von der Leyen for her third visit to Kyiv since the invasion began, thanking her for her “personal involvement in the life of our country and your personal support for Ukraine.”
The pair spoke of repeated attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities by Russian troops and the European energy crisis that has sparked as Moscow stopped disrupting vital supplies. Ukraine’s president says “we should help each other” when it comes to energy.
“We are grateful for joining the European grid,” Zelensky said.
“It is in everyone’s interest: European countries can get cheap electricity from Ukraine”, “We will be able to get wages and social benefits in such difficult times”.
IAEA Board of Governors asks Russia to leave Zaporozhye
The 35-nation council of the U.N. nuclear watchdog on Thursday passed a resolution demanding that Russia end its occupation of Ukraine’s Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, diplomats said in a closed-door meeting.
The text, which said the committee called on Russia to “immediately cease all actions against the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and any other nuclear facility in Ukraine,” was adopted by 26 votes in favour, 2 against and 7 abstentions, diplomats said. , adding that Russia and China were the countries that voted against it.
NATO: Finland, Sweden recognized by Spanish parliament
Spain’s parliament on Thursday approved Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), bringing the two Nordic countries one step closer to joining the alliance, its most significant expansion since the 1990s, as it Russia’s response to the invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden and Finland applied to join the 30-nation coalition in response to Russia’s February 24 invasion. Russia has repeatedly warned both countries not to join the alliance, calling its operation in Ukraine “an extraordinary military operation.”
The NATO allies signed their accession protocol in July. It must be approved by all member state parliaments before Finland and Sweden can be protected by the defense clause. After Spain’s ratification, there are still five countries on the list, and ratification could take up to a year.
The House of Commons approved accession with 290 votes in favour, 11 against and 47 abstentions.
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