Zelensky: Ukraine in the EU gives it an ‘economic security’ guarantee

Allowing Ukraine to join the European Union is a type of economic security guarantee for the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Sunday.

“If we are talking about economic security guarantees, then for us that is membership of the European Union, firstly,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kiev.

If Ukraine is not accepted into the Western military alliance NATO, then “secondly, the financing of the Ukrainian army to allow for no fewer than 800,000 soldiers” is needed, he said.

This Monday marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia has justified the attack as a way to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO.

Economic experts have said that if Ukraine were to join the EU, Brussels would have to make high compensation payments to Kiev for years. Ukraine has been an EU accession candidate since 2022.