President of the European Parliament Roberta Mecola said that Ukraine and Moldova have succeeded "in the most difficult circumstances" and the next step should be to start negotiations on EU accession, UNN reports citing Politico.
"If the conditions are met, when the requirements are achieved, then we have to match our words with actions," she said.
This decision, she said, "will not be made because of political expediency or any expedited procedure," but will be "based on merit."
According to her, the next step towards Ukraine is the EU's "political and moral responsibility".
Despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's strong opposition to starting accession talks with Ukraine - repeated this morning, which could disrupt the two-day summit - Meczola expressed hope that the EU could demonstrate unity.
According to The Guardian, when asked about the prospect of a unanimous decision to continue supporting Ukraine, Mecola said she trusted Volodymyr Zelenskyy's ability to persuade and the ability of other prime ministers to come to that conclusion.
"It is extremely important that Ukraine continues to receive financial assistance, that it continues to defend itself, that it continues to fight for our values. But there is also our moral responsibility. And this responsibility means that we must be able to take the next political step," she said.
"I'm a realist, but I'm not a pessimist, so let's wait and see," she said during the press conference. - "There are many people in this room who are good at persuasion.
She confirmed that there are already rumors that the fight to "defeat" Viktor Orban could last until the weekend, The Guardian points out.
Metzola also emphasized the need to move forward with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area.
"The global geopolitical situation means that inaction also has a price," she said. - "If we leave a vacuum, it will be filled by other actors who have principles that are very different from ours.