Petro Poroshenko met with the delegation of the European People’s Party headed by EPP President Manfred Weber, which is in Kyiv.
“I am glad to welcome good friends of Ukraine, the EPP – European People’s Party delegation headed by President Manfred Weber to the office of “European Solidarity”. Our political family has always been and remains an active and powerful ally of Ukraine both in the fight against the Russian aggressor and in the promotion of membership in the EU and NATO,” the party leader wrote on his Facebook page.
Poroshenko told the European partners about the selfless work of the European Solidarity party members, who are fighting at the front and doing volunteer work.
“I am also grateful to the members of the European Parliament from the EPP for their strong voice and leadership in defending our common interests in European institutions – regarding providing Ukraine with the latest Western weapons and a new EU macro-financial aid program, strengthening anti-Russian sanctions, bringing the Putin regime to international responsibility and granting Ukraine candidate status for membership in the EU,” Petro Poroshenko notes.
During the conversation, they also discussed the post-war development of a European democratic Ukraine. “As the partners emphasize, “democracy during and after the war in Ukraine needs increased attention,” the fifth President noted.
Poroshenko also called on allies to facilitate the start of negotiations on joining the EU by the end of 2023 and the formation of a Euro-Atlantic consensus on Ukraine’s membership in NATO.
“We also agreed on the positions on the agenda of the European People’s Party, including on raising the status of the European Solidarity political party within the EPP family,” the party leader writes.
As previously reported by Petro Poroshenko, “European Solidarity” fulfilled the necessary conditions for obtaining the status of Associate Member of the European People’s Party: “the European People’s Party confirmed the fulfillment of all conditions for our party to receive the status of “Associate Member of the EPP”. And already in March, during the EPP political assembly, we expect a positive vote.”
“European Solidarity” officially joined the largest and most influential political family of united Europe – the European People’s Party in 2019, and cooperation with the EPP began in 2014.
“Our next step will be to obtain full membership in the EPP after Ukraine joins the European Union. “European Solidarity” will become an active and powerful player both in the family of populists and in the European Parliament itself,” the party leader emphasized.