European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has declared that Ukraine has made substantial progress in fulfilling the criteria set by the European Union (EU) to commence the process of joining the union.

Speaking to Politico on Tuesday, von der Leyen affirmed that Ukraine has met "all the necessary requirements for nearly all the seven steps we asked them to do … when they became a candidate country."

In her address to the Ukrainian parliament on November 4, von der Leyen disclosed that Ukraine had already satisfied 90% of the prerequisites necessary to initiate the accession process. She further noted that if the conditions are promptly met, negotiations could begin by the end of 2023.

Following this evaluation, the European Commission recommended the initiation of EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. The decision to commence the negotiation process will be a key topic of discussion among EU leaders during an upcoming summit in Brussels scheduled for December 14-15.

It is essential to highlight that unanimous approval from all existing EU member states is a prerequisite for the decision to move forward.

Read more: Russia opposes Ukraine's NATO membership, not EU membership: Putin

"If Ukraine is going to join the EU in a year, you're lying"  

This comes as a surprise, as Ukraine's accession to the EU was reported to take up to 20 years. In June of 2022, the European Commission recommended granting EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. In May of 2022, France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, said Ukraine's EU membership was "15 or 20 years" away from being realized.

"We have to be honest. If you say Ukraine is going to join the EU in six months, or a year or two, you're lying," Beaune said, speaking to a local radio station. "It's probably in 15 or 20 years, it takes a long time." 

Read more: Balkans warn Ukraine over EU illusions