German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opted for simplifying the process of accession to the European Union (EU), and called for “modernizing” the entire process to speed it up and reform the decision-making system so that unanimity is not necessary. He said this in relation to the possibility of Ukraine receiving the status of a candidate country for EU membership, since solidarity with Kyiv must go together “with a perspective.”

“It is time for the candidate countries and also the European Union itself to prepare for an expansion of the club,” he told the German news agency DPA.

And for this, he defended the need to “modernize its structures and decision-making processes.”

“You cannot decide everything that needs to be decided today by a unanimous vote,” he insisted.

Scholz explained that he intends to present his proposal at the summit of heads of state and government of the EU scheduled for Thursday and Friday, where they will study the membership applications of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

“We will talk about it in Brussels, already next Thursday. And we will try to get 27 yeses for a concrete decision, a joint decision of the European Union that opens this perspective,” he said later, in a speech to the citizens, referring to the consensus necessary to grant such status to Kyiv.

“Many are fighting in Ukraine for freedom and democracy and want to know that this is taking them to Europe,” the foreign minister stressed in a new format of pre-recorded videos that will be published every Saturday from now on.

The European Commission has recommended designating Ukraine and Moldova as candidate countries for accession—and Scholz himself defends this change.

Candidate status can only be granted with the unanimous support of member states, and discussions to change this have begun earlier in the EU.

Also, the German Chancellor expressed hope that the aforesaid summit will give impetus to the Western Balkan countries, which have been waiting for EU membership for almost two decades.