President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that the member states of the European Union will support granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership, which will be a historic event and a great motivation for the Ukrainian army and society in the struggle for independence and territorial integrity.
"I strongly believe that in these crucial days Ukraine will receive the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union. We have come a long way for it… Our people, our revolutions, our war… And this status is such an important moment. This is a transition to another page of our history. A very positive transition. I believe that all these 27 European countries will endorse this status for us," the Head of State said during a conversation with the student community of major Canadian universities.
According to him, this decision will motivate the Ukrainian army and society. "It is a great motivator for unification, and therefore a great motivator for Ukraine's victory," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Answering to the question who inspires him personally, the President said that the Ukrainian people are such an inspiration.
"There are many such examples. This is an ordinary Ukrainian farmer who could block the road to Russian tanks on a tractor at the time of the invasion. An ordinary woman in our village who stopped the APCs, IFVs with bare hands. Our beautiful ordinary children who were in the apartments when the enemy missile hit them. And they remained in our history and in our memory," he said.
The President stressed that he is proud and inspired by the Ukrainian people, his people, who heroically defend our freedom.
"Because we can talk about the values we protect. And the main value is our people. This is our treasure, and this is my idol," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
During the conversation with the students, the President also emphasized that after the victory the country will be in great need of young Ukrainian specialists who have studied or gained new experience abroad. For them to return to Ukraine, the state must ensure a reliable security situation and create favorable conditions for business development and personal development.
"We do not have time for any bureaucratic chains, because we are a state at war, and the country will have to be rebuilt very quickly," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that despite the full-scale war, many state institutions withstood in the country, and the financial and digital sectors function stably because Ukraine managed to resist cyberattacks by Russia.
"Security, climate and the most liberal approaches to business. I think these are the most important conditions we can create for the current generation. But without you, without young people who are gaining knowledge and experience, it will be very difficult to build all this. So be sure to come back with modern knowledge and, most importantly, with desire. The desire to live and build an independent Ukraine. And we will definitely defend it, I am sure of that," the Head of State summed up.