EU membership guarantees Ukraine's security alongside NATO, says diplomat

He said this in an interview with Espreso TV channel.

"We strongly support Ukraine's integration into the EU and hope that negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership will be accelerated, and that Ukraine will really come closer to the European Union in the coming years. EU enlargement, or Ukraine's accession, has two components: the first is the political process, and the second is specific reforms, requirements, a lot of technical work, legislation harmonization, and a great deal of specific work, where we are also helping Ukraine," Janukonis noted.

According to the diplomat, Lithuania currently leads a large European project aimed at integrating Ukraine into the European Union. Within the framework of this initiative, a large team of experts is working actively.

"We are also trying to convince the European Union that the political component is just as important. Ukraine's membership in the EU is also a security guarantee, not just NATO. We all understand how difficult it is for a country that is defending itself and heroically protecting its territory to carry out the necessary reforms," Janukonis emphasized.

• On April 9, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine had already fulfilled 81% of its obligations under the Association Agreement with the EU. This year, the opening of six clusters is expected during the EU accession negotiations.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the three key priorities for the EU, including accelerating Ukraine's accession process and opening all negotiation clusters in 2025.