'Historic week' on EU candidate status begins for Ukraine: President

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - A "historic week" on the EU candidate status begins for Ukraine as of Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address late Sunday.

"Tomorrow a truly historic week begins. A week when we will hear the answer from the European Union on the candidate status for Ukraine. We already have a positive decision from the European Commission, and at the end of the new week there will be a response from the European Council," he said.

Recalling that since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 there have been "few such fateful decisions" for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said he is convinced that "only a positive decision" meets the interests of the whole of Europe.

Zelenskyy emphasized that he will deliver new addresses throughout the week, including to Europeans, adding that he will "take every opportunity to defend the European perspective for Ukraine, for each of us, and to gather new supporters for us."

"Obviously, we should expect greater hostile activity from Russia. Purposefully - demonstratively. This week exactly. And not only against Ukraine, but also against other European countries. We are preparing. We are ready. We warn partners," he said.

Zelenskyy also claimed that the Russian forces are accumulating forces in the Kharkiv direction, in the Zaporizhzhia region, noting that they struck at Ukraine's fuel infrastructure "again" aiming to worsen the fuel situation in the war-torn country.

He vowed that Ukraine will respond to this action.

Zelenskyy went on to say that "fierce fighting" continues in the eastern Donbas region, where the Russian army uses the "greatest number" of artillery and offensive forces.

"But Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka and other hot spots are holding on. Our people are like that. They are holding on. Our army is holding on. And I am grateful to everyone whose strength today means our victory tomorrow," he said.