The European Union (EU) must urgently develop a clear roadmap for Ukraine to become a full member of the community.
This is the position of senior diplomats from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, according to a joint letter they sent, reports Politico, quoted by FOKUS.
The publication writes that the Baltic and Scandinavian countries have urged Brussels to provide "concrete proposals on how to decisively advance the process of Ukraine's accession to the EU". This comes as European countries seek to increase their support for Ukraine amid a deepening rift with US President Donald Trump and his administration.
"Reaffirming our full and unequivocal commitment to the prospect of Ukraine's EU membership, we call for an acceleration of the accession process", the statement said.
"The time has come for ambitious and effective decisions in this direction", the signatories said.
Although European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has publicly proposed that Ukraine join the EU by 2030, the signatories now want to take steps to make this happen sooner.
"Ukraine has demonstrated significant progress in reforms – "now is the time to mobilize efforts to help the country even more," the letter says.
The country has been forced to achieve ambitious political, economic and strategic goals while struggling to protect its territory, critical infrastructure and civilian population from Russian attacks.
At the same time, the letter warns, the enlargement process must be "predictable and benefits-based" and "bilateral issues that run counter to the Union's overall strategic interests should not be used to block progress but should be resolved through good faith dialogue."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is one of the leaders who has consistently opposed Ukraine's accession to the EU, and his diplomats in Brussels have consistently voiced objections during the negotiations designed to strengthen Kiev's institutions and secure economic and political convergence.