EU's von der Leyen discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with Zelenskiy

BRUSSELS - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday she had discussed Ukraine's path to EU membership with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

"The coming weeks will be important to take decisive steps forward in the accession process," she said in a post on social media platform X.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this month suggested permitting Ukraine "associate" membership in the bloc, allowing it to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote, as an interim step toward full membership - a proposal that Zelenskiy has labelled as unfair.

Zelenskiy has said Ukraine has pressed ahead with reforms needed for EU membership, with an opportunity for substantive progress on talks following the electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership.

Von der Leyen added that Europe continues to support Ukraine amid its war with Russia.

"Air defence and drone and counter-drone capabilities are among Europe's most urgent defence priorities. And Ukraine will be fully integrated into these efforts," she said.

(Reporting by Makini Brice, editing by Deepa Babington)

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 12:23 PM.