Ukrainian PM: Ukraine's EU accession negotiations should start by end of June

Negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union should begin by the end of June this year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on air during a telethon.

"We are saying that this should happen by the end of June. We are discussing this with EU leaders, with leaders of European institutions," he stated.

Shmyhal said that Belgium currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, so the issue was discussed with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who emphasized that Ukraine, for its part, has done everything necessary to start the negotiation process no later than June.

"We are waiting for a decision from our partners. We have positive optimism about this," he said.

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