The European Commission will give a clear signal next week on Ukraine's application for EU candidate status, its head Ursula von der Leyen said, AFP reported.

Von der Leyen said the talks she had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday will allow us to complete our assessment by the end of next week. Thus, for the first time, the bloc publicly named terms.

Zelenskyy is pushing for early European Union admission, but officials and bloc leaders warn that even with candidate status, membership could take years or even decades.

Despite the reservations of some member states, EU leaders are expected to approve candidate status for Ukraine, albeit with tough conditions.