By KYIV. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that there is an absolute majority in the European Union that supports the opening of negotiations with Ukraine on EU accession.
At a press conference with Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Gerdina Johannette Bruins Slot, who arrived in Kyiv, Kuleba said that one of the main topics of the meeting was preparation for the EU Council meeting next week, at which a “historic” decision is expected to be taken on the start of negotiations with Ukraine.
“You are all in the information space and you see the tension that Hungary is creating around this issue. The main thing that Ukrainians should understand is that a lot of work needs to be done on each result. Nothing is given for nothing. Second: There is an absolute majority in the European Union that supports the opening of membership negotiations with Ukraine,” the minister said.
He also informed that “today he received an assurance that the Netherlands will support this decision and lobby for its adoption at a meeting of the European Council.”
“We are grateful for that,” Kuleba said.
Kuleba noted that a number of important decisions are expected at the European Council meeting in December, in particular regarding the 12th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as the adoption of a European financing instrument for Ukraine and a decision on the use of frozen Russian assets.
“And at this European Council, which will be held next week, in addition to decisions related to Ukraine, decisions related to other countries, important issues of the functioning of the EU, will be made. Therefore, the meeting will be difficult. But we have reason to believe that in the end the decisions that are necessary to ensure macro-financial support for Ukraine will be taken,” he said.
On November 8, the European Commission recommended to the European Council to start negotiations with Ukraine on EU membership. The final decision on the start of negotiations will be made by the heads of state and Government at the December meeting of the European Council, which will be held in Brussels on December 14-15.
