Ukraine expects 'positive' EU report on membership bid as Russia war drags on

The report and recommendation, which will assess Ukraine across seven reform areas, will inform a key decision in December at a summit of the EU's national leaders on whether to start formal membership negotiations with Kyiv. "I think for the purposes of the assessment when it comes to the seven steps, everything which has been agreed has been implemented and done," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told Reuters in an interview.

Ukraine expects the European Union's executive to deliver a "positive" appraisal of its membership bid this week, a senior government official in Kyiv said on Monday, adding it had carried out the reforms required of it.

The European Commission is expected in a report on Wednesday to recommend taking Ukraine one step closer to becoming a member of the bloc, EU officials say, a coveted prize for Kyiv as weariness creeps in more than 20 months after Russia's invasion. The report and recommendation, which will assess Ukraine across seven reform areas, will inform a key decision in December at a summit of the EU's national leaders on whether to start formal membership negotiations with Kyiv.

"I think for the purposes of the assessment when it comes to the seven steps, everything which has been agreed has been implemented and done," Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told Reuters in an interview. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Ukraine for making headway as she visited Kyiv on Saturday. She told parliament that Ukraine had met over 90% of the conditions laid out to start formal membership talks.

Such talks typically take years before candidates meet extensive legal and economic criteria to join, and the bloc is wary of taking in a country at war. Still, advancing Western integration is a top priority for Ukraine, where troops face battle fatigue and concerns swirl over the future of vital U.S. military aid.

REFORMS IN WARTIME The Commission said last June that Ukraine met two out of seven conditions the EU had set to start membership talks.

"I would say that the assessment would definitely be positive because we have been in a permanent contact with the European Commission, discussing the steps and negotiating the steps we managed to implement," Stefanishyna said. She said von der Leyen's visit had been an endorsement of Kyiv's policies and noted a series of Ukrainian reforms including restoring asset declarations for top officials and increasing transparency in political party financing and media ownership.

Von der Leyen told a news conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday that Kyiv had made "excellent progress". "You are fighting an existential war and at the same time deeply reforming your country," she said, highlighting reforms to Ukraine's justice system, reining in oligarchs and tackling money laundering.

She expressed confidence that Ukraine would soon complete the remaining steps - related to fighting corruption and safeguarding minority rights - and advance on its EU path. Zelenskiy said Kyiv would deliver on the conditions, and that a positive EU decision would give fresh motivation to his country and troops.

"There will be no grey geo-political zones in Europe. We will secure a new basis for growth and development of Ukraine and all European countries. We will guarantee to our country and citizens real economic and social security," he said. His comments capped a week when Ukraine's commander-in-chief said the war was moving towards attritional fighting and the Italian premier spoke of international fatigue with the war during a prank call that was later made public.

In good news for Ukraine, Germany's foreign minister expressed confidence that the EU would advance its bid to join. Kyiv is expected to get a green light this week on the understanding that it does more to tackle graft and secure minority rights, the latter issue raised by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who prides himself on his contacts with Moscow.