Kyiv has ambitious plans, Shmyhal told a press conference, which will require a great deal of work in addition to what has already been accomplished.

“However, we understand strategically that our accession to the European Union must be an inseparable part of a just peace,” he said. “This is our strategic goal.”

He said the task facing the country was huge and involved aligning its legislation with EU directives, but that politically, progress is already underway.

“The political decision remains with the EU member states regarding Ukraine's acceptance as an EU member," he was quoted by the tsn.us website as saying.

“This involves extensive technical work that does not entail flashy political statements but consists of daily, tireless, quiet effort.

"We have received a decision to begin negotiations for EU membership and continue to actively pursue this work,” Shmyhal continued.

“We have obtained and approved the negotiation framework, started and are successfully continuing the screening of our legislation. Not only have we received approval for the Ukraine Facility, but we have also prepared for it by developing a reform plan and approved a unique tool—the ‘Reform Matrix,’ which for this year alone includes over 400 measures that Ukraine must implement as part of our signed commitments.”

He added that the Cabinet and the Verkhovna Rada, the country’s unicameral parliament, are monitoring progress to ensure the work stays in line with the integration schedule.