Poland’s President lobbies EU members to grant Ukraine candidate status

On June 8, President of Poland Andrzej Duda embarked on a series of visits to Southern European countries to persuade them to support Ukraine’s EU candidate status. The Polish president’s itinerary inlcudes Portugal, Italy and Romania, where the “Bucharest Nine”, the countries of NATO’s eastern flank, will hold a summit on June 10. In addition to Ukraine’s EU membership prospects, Duda will also discuss grain exports from Ukraine.

“Ukraine needs the EU, it will be a union that will be beneficial for both parties,” said Paweł Szrot, the head of Duda’s presidential office.