The European Commission will provide a clear signal next week on Ukraine's EU candidate status bid, its chief Ursula von der Leyen has said, as fighting rages in the east and south of the country, AFP reported.

Von der Leyen said talks she held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday "will enable us to finalize our assessment by the end of next week" -- the first time the bloc has publicly given a sense of timing.

Zelensky has pressed for rapid admission to the European Union, but officials and leaders in the bloc caution that, even with candidacy status, membership could take years or even decades.

Despite reservations among some member states, EU leaders are expected to approve Ukraine's candidate status, though with strict conditions attached.

"Russia wants to ruin European unity, wants to leave Europe divided and wants to leave it weak. The entirety of Europe is a target for Russia. Ukraine is only the first stage in this aggression," Zelensky said, warning it was a "decisive time" for his country and the EU.