I thank every leader who understands how important it is for Ukraine to move toward EU membership. In this war, we defend not only ourselves, but also the European way of life. Whatever happens with Russia’s ambitions, one thing is clear – Europe together with Ukraine will be able to defend itself. And I believe as a result of both our defense of Europe and our reforms, Ukraine should gain full membership in the EU. Thank you to everyone working to speed it up. It is important that already in May we can move to unblocking the clusters – to open the first cluster and immediately the rest of 5 clusters and then to start closing the chapters. We seek the same full membership that every EU nation has – from Cyprus to Poland. The only thing we ask is speeding up the full membership – with a clear start date for membership. This is necessary to prevent Russia from endlessly blocking our path – and not only blocking, but also dividing and weakening Europe to stop Ukraine. A clear timeline and a fast track can prevent this. That is why we are asking for it. We are ready to work together to make Ukraine’s membership happen. Thank you. From an address at the European Council meeting (3/3).