Head of Ukraine's Mission to the European Union Vsevolod Chentsov (pictured left) said on Wednesday that granting membership status to Ukraine would show Russia it can "no longer claim a sphere of influence" over Kiev. He told the Guardian that the country needs clarity on the issue "to support the Ukrainian army, Ukrainian society, morally, psychologically, and to get the clear feeling and understanding of the direction of movement for Ukraine."
Chentsov also came out in favor of a "political community" of countries hoping to join the EU, even though other Ukrainian officials came out against similar ideas. He argued that such a community would "avoid the vacuum, the gap between current status and future membership." The envoy conceded the path to membership "will take some time," adding that "we understand that we have to implement those reforms first of all, for Ukraine, not for the EU."
