Is Ukraine about to become the 28th member state of the European Union?

Zelensky wants Kyiv to align with Brussels once and for all – but could it really happen, asks Sean O’Grady

A woman supporting Ukraine outside the European parliament in Brussels on Monday (EPA)

Is Ukraine about to become the 28th member state of the European Union? President Volodymyr Zelensky certainly wishes it were so, and has made a formal application to join, using an as-yet non-existent fast track process.

The circumstances demand such an approach, because Ukraine may not be in a position to apply for anything if it ceases to be an independent nation.

The EU has little in the way of a defence or security role, but the move would be a symbol of the desire to align Ukraine with Europe and the west, rather than looking eastwards – and some would add, backwards – to Russia.