Visiting European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the mechanism had been set in motion in the case of Ukraine's application for membership of the European Union (EU).

"President (Volodymyr) Zelensky has sent a letter of candidacy for Ukraine, this mechanism has been set in motion," the EC president said in a joint press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

According to von der Leyen, who arrived in Bucharest late Wednesday, there was no doubt that Ukraine may be part of the European family, but at present, efforts are focused on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

For his part, Iohannis pointed out that work was being done to make a humanitarian hub operational in Romania as soon as possible where international donations to Ukraine would be collected and shipped.

The hub, which will operate at full capacity in a few weeks, will allow the centralization of aid and its sending to Ukraine, and also to Moldova, he added.