Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that it is time to start EU accession negotiations for Ukraine.

He stated this in his annual speech in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament).

"Ukraine was granted EU candidate status this year. But this is not our only achievement. This is only part of our achievement. Ukraine deserved this status long time ago. Even 20 years ago, it could have happened," said Zelenskyy.

According to him, the biggest achievement in foreign policy in 2022 is that Ukraine cements the European Union and the entire free world with the struggle for freedom and peace.

"We have made it obvious to everyone that without Ukraine no alliance in Europe can be strong. That is why a vast majority of citizens in all European Union countries support Ukraine and Ukraine in the EU," the President added.

Earlier, the government of Ukraine announced that they have accomplished everything possible to implement the seven requirements of the European Commission. They are needed to assess Kyiv's progress towards EU membership.

Upon Ukraine's request, the EU agreed to early assess the seven requirements, which is supposed to happen in the spring of 2023.

The EU insisted on the first assessment of progress and recommendations in the autumn of 2023. This meant postponing the process of Ukraine's European integration for at least half a year, which would move the official start of accession negotiations until the formation of a new commission.

Read more Hungary's Spoke in the Wheel. How Brussels Slows Down Ukraine's and Moldova's EU Accession

and also How Ukraine Meets EU Requirements: Analysing Seven EU Commission Criteria