EU dampens Ukraine plea

Brussels: The EU on Monday poured cold water on a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "immediate" membership to the bloc for his country as Kyiv battled a Russian invasion.

EU officials stressed that the adherence procedure takes years, dampening Ukraine’s hopes that suddenly becoming part of the European club could help it better weather the Russian onslaught and speed up military, financial and political support. Several officials walked back a comment by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen that appeared to hold out the prospect of Ukraine being admitted. "They are one of us and we want them in," she told Euronews in an interview on Sunday, after emphasising existing EU-Ukraine cooperation.