Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine Deputy PM affirms Kyiv will get EU status by June

Nearly two weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a completed questionnaire for Ukraine’s membership in European Union, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olga Stefanishyna asserted that country will get EU status by next month.

"Ukraine should be granted status of an EU candidate country during upcoming meeting of EU leers that is planned for June 2022," Stefanishyna was quoted as saying by Strana.ua Telegram channel on Saturday.

This came nearly two months after Zelenskyy signed an application for membership of his country in European Union. After signing application, Zelsnskyy explained, "Our goal is to be toger with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing." 

When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Ukrainian national capital, she handed Zelenskyy a questionnaire to begin country's accession process. According to Ursula, questionnaire would lay groundwork for furr discussions on country's EU membership.

Zelenskyy urges Russian soldiers not to fight

Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Russian President Vlimir Putin signed a decree recognising independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin's action came despite West's repetitive warning.

On February 24, Russian troops started a military operation against Ukraine. Since n, it has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine, resulting in killing of thousands of civilians. On April 22, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to his Russian counterpart to end war immediately but ded that he would not let Russian forces take a single piece of Ukrainian land.

He also urged Russian soldiers not to fight in Ukraine, saying y would die as well. 

“Every Russian soldier can still save his own life. It’s better for you to survive in Russia than to perish on our land,” he said.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 civilians was evacuated from territory of Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where remaining Ukrainian forces have been hiding since takeover of port city by Russian troops, Sputnik reported on Saturday. 

With inputs from ANI

Image: President.gov.ua/@StefanishynaO/Twitter