Ukraine's EU dream might still be a long time coming

The raid on the home of billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky is the latest action in a highly publicised anti-corruption crackdown that has been carried out recently by Volodymyr Zelensky's government. The Ukrainian security service, the SBU, was quick to push out images of the 59-year-old oligarch looking bemused, standing with his arms folded and wearing a tracksuit, as his home in Dnipro was searched by investigators.

- KIM SENGUPTA

Another raid was carried out on the home and offices of Arsen Avakov - who was, until recently, the powerful interior minister who headed Ukraine's police and National Guard. At the same time, there are repeated claims by the Ukrainian government including Zelensky and defence minister Oleksii Reznikov, among others that Moscow has mobilised 500,000 troops and plans to launch an offensive around the anniversary of the war on 24 February.

All this was taking place as the week ended with a meeting of great significance between European Union officials and the Zelensky government, with calls for Ukraine's expedited membership under discussion. The summit - attended by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and president of the European Council Charles Michel held in Kyiv. It is the first such gathering to take place in a war zone, and has garnered much media coverage.

All this was taking place as the week ended with a meeting of great significance between European Union officials and the Zelensky government, with calls for Ukraine's expedited membership under discussion. The summit - attended by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and president of the European Council Charles Michel held in Kyiv. It is the first such gathering to take place in a war zone, and has garnered much media coverage.-

But Ukraine is highly unlikely to achieve its aim of being fast-tracked. "There are no rigid timelines, but there are goals that you have to reach," Von der Leyen told a news conference in response to a question about Ukraine's accession drive. There has, instead, been a show of further solidarity, including the doubling of the training mission for Ukrainian troops to 30,000 and the provision of €25m (£22.4m) to de-mine liberated territories,.