Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine is ready to begin discussions on European Union membership in specific areas, describing the process as a key part of the country’s long‑term security and reconstruction strategy. In recent remarks, Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine will complete the technical preparations required to open negotiating clusters on EU accession “within days,” and that the government is prepared to move into concrete talks on those topics, once EU leaders agree on the timing and agenda.
Zelenskiy also announced plans to develop a national anti‑ballistic missile defense system, calling for a European‑style, independent missile‑shield architecture that would reduce reliance on any single allied system. Speaking in interviews, he said Kyiv aims to field its own anti‑ballistic missile defense within about a year and is in discussions with several European countries on joint solutions, including modernisation of existing systems such as the French‑Italian SAMP/T air‑defense platforms already deployed in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has called on European partners to invest in their own missile‑defense capabilities, arguing that continental‑level systems would both strengthen deterrence and reduce vulnerability to long‑range strikes. At the same time, he announced that a portion of the EU’s multi‑billion‑euro reconstruction package—often cited in the order of roughly €90 billion in guarantees and loans—will be used to rebuild Ukraine’s damaged energy infrastructure, including power grids and gas‑supply networks that have been repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks.
Zelenskiy has said the scale of EU financial support, including that €90 billion‑class loan facility, is putting pressure on Russia to enter negotiations, portraying the funds as a sign of European political and economic backing that makes continued war less sustainable for Moscow. His statements tie EU membership momentum, missile‑defense projects, and energy‑sector reconstruction into a single narrative of building security from within the European framework.