Ukraine can become an EU member even if the war is not over - Stefanyshyn

Ukraine's accession to the EU should not be linked to the end of the war or de-occupation, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Olha Stefanyshyn, has said

She is convinced that even if the final end of the war is delayed, it will not become an obstacle to Ukraine's accession to the EU. At the same time, she did not forecast the timeframe for joining the organization:

I will not make any predictions about the timing, but when it comes to membership, the dynamics of the war will not be a decisive factor. We can join the EU even if the war is not completely over

At the same time, Stefanyshyna recalled that earlier Ukraine and the EU had concluded a political trade agreement despite the presence of occupied territories:

We concluded an association agreement when Crimea was annexed and the war started in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but this did not affect the launch of a free trade zone, there were not even separate clauses about it