EU's von der Leyen tells Zelenskiy opinion on membership ready next week

FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacts as she arrives to meet Pope Francis at the Vatican June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

KYIV (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a visit to Kyiv that the EU executive's opinion on Ukraine's request to join the European Union would be ready by the end of next week.

In a joint news conference in Kyiv, von der Leyen said Saturday's discussions with Zelenskiy "will enable us to finalise our assessment by the end of next week," about whether to recommend Ukraine as a candidate for membership.