• European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen visits Ukraine to assess country’s candidacy for EU membership.
• She meets with President Volodymyr Zelensky to take stock of reconstruction and progress made by Ukraine on its European path.
• Ukrainian officials have pushed for quick entry into EU, but EU warns it can take years or decades.

EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen visited Ukraine on Saturday to discuss the country’s candidacy for membership in the European Union with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

🇺🇦 Good to be back in Kyiv.

With President @ZelenskyyUa I will take stock of the joint work needed for reconstruction and of the progress made by Ukraine on its European path.

Європа з вами! pic.twitter.com/JqtXvgamkV

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 11, 2022

While Kyiv has pushed for a quick entry into the European Union, EU officials and politicians have warned that the road to membership is difficult and can take years or decades.

Read more: EU sends 600 million euros to Ukraine says von der Leyen

“With President Zelensky, I will take stock of the joint work needed for reconstruction and of the progress made by Ukraine on its European path,” von der Leyen tweeted upon arrival in Kyiv.

She told a group of journalists accompanying her, including France news agency, that the discussions “will feed into our assessment” of Ukraine’s readiness to undertake protracted negotiations, including needed reforms.

Her commission’s report will be presented “soon,” she stated.

Ukraine’s proposal is scheduled to be scrutinised by EU commissioners and officials next week, ahead of a June 23-24 summit that will almost certainly address the issue.

Von der Leyen made her second trip to Kyiv since the Russian invasion in late February.

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