Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Wednesday 5 June in Brussels, during his first trip abroad as Ukrainian President, that his objective was to continue reforms in his country and strengthen the fight against corruption.
"I am determined to implement reforms", he said after a meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk. According to him, work on the fight against corruption will be intensified with effective work on the anti-corruption body, judicial reform and the establishment of digital government.
While the day before, at NATO, he had confirmed his country's desire to become a full member of the EU and the Alliance, the new Ukrainian President, when meeting with Mr Tusk, also praised European integration. "Ukraine must continue its movement towards the EU", he argued, considering that this was the guarantee of the independence of the Ukrainian state, its prosperity and a prerequisite for economic and technological growth.
Mr Tusk supported these efforts. "The EU will always be determined to help Ukraine strengthen its democracy and the rule of law, fight corruption, stabilise its economy and pursue energy sector reforms. Because a strong and democratic Ukraine is in the best interest of the European Union", he stressed, adding that the EU was ready to continue work on the implementation of the association agreement. "There can be no Europe without Ukraine", Mr Tusk said.
"The EU will also continue its financial support for economic stabilisation, despite Russian aggression and the war in Donbass", the President of the European Council added.
And while Mr Tusk recalled the EU's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mr Zelenskyy made counter-representations against Russian aggression and prioritised the consolidation of international support for his country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called on the international community to strengthen its sanctions.
In addition, the EU-Ukraine summit in Ukraine was confirmed for 8 July, with the aim, for Mr Tusk, of "setting priorities for our relations for the coming year". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)