At a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hails the "impressive" reforms Kyiv has made as part of its bid to join the European Union, adding that she is "confident Ukraine can reach its ambitious goal of moving to the next stage in the accession process." Kyiv applied for EU membership just days after Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, and received candidacy status several months later in a strong signal of support from Brussels. For his part, the Ukrainian leader rejected the idea Western countries were putting pressure on Kyiv to enter negotiations with Russia, amid reports US and EU officials had discussed what such talks would entail. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES