The brutal war against Ukraine has led the country to apply for EU membership, and on Thursday the country can be formally accepted as a candidate.
This is in addition to Moldova and Georgia, which have also applied for membership.
The ambitious expansion of the EU alliance will be discussed at a two-day summit in Brussels starting today.
– The story is on its way, says EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of the meeting.
– Tells that they want change
The head of the EU Commission made several positive statements on Thursday, which may indicate that everything is going in the right direction for the countries to become new EU members.
– I’m not just talking about Putin’s war of aggression. I’m talking about the winds of change that are once again blowing across our continent. With their applications, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia tell us that they want change, says Von der Leyen.
According to EU leaders, none of the other member states should have objections to the countries being granted candidate status, but still nothing has been decided yet.
– The term historical is a term that is restricted, but this can be called historical. Even a month ago, Ukraine’s EU candidacy could have seemed far-fetched, said another EU diplomat ahead of the summit.
May take several years
Although the countries today can formally become member candidates, the EU is clear that it can still take several years before an official membership is on the table.
The decision at the summit is nevertheless referred to as a major symbolic step.
If the dream is to become a reality, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia will implement a number of changes and reforms, with a strong focus on the fight against corruption.
In addition to considering a formal candidacy, the summit will discuss the economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The last few weeks have been marked by the latest sanctions package against the warring country, much of which was aimed at Russian oil and gas exports.
However, the package did not address the blockade of grain exports out of Ukrainian ports, which several fear could lead to a global food crisis.
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