Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed for his country’s urgent ascension to the European Union and says he has discussed the prospect with the bloc’s leaders.
The Ukrainian premier said now was a ‘crucial moment to close the long-standing discussion once and for all and decide on Ukraine’s members in the EU’.
Taking to Twitter to describe a ‘new page in the history of our states’, President Zelensky pointed to a surge in support from EU leaders in recent days as the Russian invasion of his country stalled.
‘This is the beginning of a new page in the history of our states… Ukraine must become part of the EU,’ the Ukrainian leader said.
He later added: ‘Ukraine is fighting the invader with weapons in hands, defending its freedom and European future’.
Zelenskiy’s appeal came after a round of calls with senior EU figures, including Italian PM Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Charles Michel and President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Fighting has raged on in and around major Ukrainian cities for a third consecutive day, as Kyiv’s defence ministry has so far put Russia’s losses at around 2,800 troops, 80 tanks, 516 armoured vehicles, and 10 airplanes and seven helicopters.
Intelligence experts have predicted Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine is no longer going to plan due to Kremlin ‘overconfidence’, poor tactical planning, and ‘shock’ at the fierce resistance put up by brave Ukrainians fighting for national survival.
Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky (above) has pushed for his country’s urgent ascension to the European Union and says he has discussed the prospect with the bloc’s leaders
Taking to Twitter to describe a ‘new page in the history of our states’, President Zelensky pointed to a surge in support from EU leaders in recent days as the Russian invasion of his country stalled.
The Ukrainian premier pointed to the surge in support from EU leaders in recent days, as the Russian invasion stalled and fighting raged on in Ukraine for a third day.
He also urged cutting Russia from the SWIFT international electronic payment system, and called on Germany, Italy and Hungary to show ‘courage’ and agree to the move.
Ukraine has long aspired to join the European bloc, with the country’s foreign minister pointedly using Ukraine’s independence day last year to tell Politico they must welcome Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine into the EU.
Ukraine already belongs to the EU’s Eastern Partnership as well as the European Neighbourhood Policy.
The bloc also forged closer economic and political links with Ukraine after signing a bilateral Association Agreement in 2014.
The news comes as EU member states were branded a ‘disgrace’ by the bloc’s former president yesterday after they rejected Boris Johnson’s call to eject Russia from the world’s biggest financial payments system.
It comes as the bloc’s former president Donald Tusk (above) rounded on Germany, Italy , Hungary and others after they vetoed moves to kick Russia out of the Swift payments network that forms the bedrock of international trade
Donald Tusk rounded on Germany, Italy, Hungary and others after they vetoed moves to kick Russia out of the Swift payment network that forms the bedrock of international trade.
Mr Tusk tweeted: ‘In this war everything is real: Putin’s madness and cruelty, Ukrainian victims, bombs falling on Kyiv.
‘Only your sanctions are pretended. Those EU governments which blocked tough decisions (ie Germany, Hungary, Italy) have disgraced themselves.’
Donald Tusk (pictured) rounded on Germany, Italy, Hungary and others after they vetoed moves to kick Russia out of the Swift network that forms the bedrock of international trade
While EU leaders left a Swift ban out of a ‘tough’ package of sanctions – despite a plea from Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Italy got an exemption for its luxury goods industry.
Senior sources said the likes of Gucci loafers and designer handbags were not included in the export ban measures agreed late on Thursday, which focused largely on the high-tech, aviation and energy sectors.
One EU diplomat said Italy’s argument was that banning sales to Russian oligarchs ‘would have been largely symbolic’.
But senior Italian government sources reacted furiously, with one saying the country’s prime minister Mario Draghi ‘did not seek a carve-out on Italian luxury goods – that is categorically untrue’.
Mr Draghi also sparked a row with Mr Zelenskyy after he told Italian MPs the Ukrainian president had missed a planned phone call yesterday because he was ‘hiding somewhere’.
Mr Zelenskyy tweeted details of heavy fighting in his country, including deaths, before adding sarcastically: ‘Next time I’ll try to move the war schedule to talk to Mario Draghi at a specific time. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to fight for its people.’
Mr Zelenskyy had urged European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to back a Swift ban on Russia, saying: ‘Not all possibilities for sanctions have been exhausted yet. The pressure on Russia must increase.’
Latvia’s deputy prime minister Artis Pabriks condemned nations that blocked the move, saying: ‘Some people in Europe are afraid of losing money while other people in Kyiv have to die.’
Boris Johnson (pictured) has been urging allies to back a Swift ban, saying only the harshest economic sanctions will have any effect on Vladimir Putin
Mr Johnson has been urging allies to back a Swift ban, saying only the harshest economic sanctions will have any effect on Vladimir Putin.
The Prime Minister raised the issue at a G7 summit on Thursday and again at a crisis summit of Nato leaders yesterday.
He has also raised it in one-to-one talks with fellow leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, warning him: ‘Western inaction or under-reaction would have unthinkable consequences.’
A Government source said Mr Johnson ‘is going to keep pushing very strongly for this’.
And Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said yesterday Britain would ‘work all day’ to get the Swift system ‘turned off for Russia’.
EU leaders have said little publicly about their opposition to kicking Russia out of Swift. But diplomatic sources said several countries were concerned about disruption to gas supplies from Russia.
Diplomatic sources said US President Joe Biden sat on the fence on the issue at the G7 summit on Thursday.
He cited EU concerns as the reason for not going ahead with a ban.
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