Ukraine moves one step closer to EU membership

 

The European Commission has backed Ukraine's bid to be given candidacy status to join the EU - bringing it one step closer to joining the bloc.

"Good work has been done" by Ukraine, but more is needed, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Ukraine must make "important" reforms - on rule of law, oligarchs, human rights and tackling corruption, she added.

Candidacy status is a significant step to joining the EU, however the whole process can take many years.

The recommendation from the European Commission still needs to be signed off by the EU's 27 member states, who meet to discuss it next week. The French, German and Italian leaders have already backed Ukraine's bid, but the decision must be unanimous.

Speaking from Brussels and wearing blue and yellow - the colours of Ukraine - Ms Von der Leyen said Ukrainians are "ready to die" for the European perspective.

"We want them to live with us in the European dream," she said, adding that Ukraine had shown its "aspiration and determination to live up to European values and standards."  

But it is conditional - Ukraine has work to do, she said, to ensure international law is respected.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted that the "historic decision" would bring "victory closer".  

he announcement comes a day after the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited Kyiv and backed Ukraine's bid to join the EU - a big vote of confidence for Ukraine that today's decision was inevitable.

Meanwhile in Russia, the Kremlin has been watching Ukraine's efforts to join the EU very closely.

The development "requires our heightened attention, because we are all aware of the intensification of discussions in Europe on the subject of strengthening the defence component of the EU", Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters at his regular news briefing.

Ukraine's neighbours, Moldova and Georgia - both ex-Soviet nations - also applied for EU membership shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, concerned that other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union would be next.

Ms Von der Leyen announced support for Moldova - one of Europe's poorest countries - to move to candidacy status, but not Georgia.

"[Moldova] is on a real pro-reform, anti-corruption and European path," Ursula von der Leyen said. "Georgia must now come together politically to design a clear path towards structural reform and the EU."

There are five nations that currently have EU candidacy status - Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61841598