EU Leaders Agree to Advance Membership Bids for Ukraine, Moldova
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Leaders of European Union nations agreed on Thursday to allow bids for membership by Ukraine and Moldova to advance amid the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
The heads of all 27 EU nations approved the attempts to join the group. The process of joining the EU could take years; Croatia, which became an EU member state in 2013, waited nine years for full admission to the group. Countries must meet certain conditions before being allowed to join, and Ukraine will be expected to root out corruption as part of the application process.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the decision on Thursday.
“Sincerely commend EU leaders’ decision . . . to grant [Ukraine] a candidate status,” Zelensky said on Twitter. Calling it a “unique and historical moment” in Ukraine-EU relations, Zelensky added that “Ukraine’s future is within the EU.”
Sincerely commend EU leaders’ decision at #EUCO to grant 🇺🇦 a candidate status. It’s a unique and historical moment in 🇺🇦-🇪🇺 relations. Grateful to @CharlesMichel, @vonderleyen and EU leaders for support. Ukraine’s future is within the EU. #EmbraceUkraine https://t.co/o6dJVmTQrn
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 23, 2022
European Council president Charles Michel said on Twitter that “Today marks a crucial step on your path towards the EU. . . . Our future is together.”
Zelensky signed Ukraine’s application to join the EU on February 28, just days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Moldova followed with its own application shortly thereafter on March 3.
Russian and Ukrainian forces are currently battling for control of Ukraine’s Donbas region in the east. Fighting is centered on the key city of Sievierodonetsk, the administrative hub for part of the Donbas.
