The European Commission on Friday granted Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status the first step toward membership.
Membership
It came a day after the presidents of France, Germany, Romania and Italy visited Kyiv and told President Volodymyr Zelensky they supported Ukraine’s membership bid.
‘We want them to live with us the European dream,’ the European Commission president Ursula van der Leyen said ahead of next week’s Brussels summit.
The executive arm of the European Union recommended the war-torn nation be granted „candidate status” as Kyiv seeks to join the 27-nation alliance.
European values
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said, „Ukraine has clearly shown commitment to live up to European values and standards. And embarked, before the war, on its way towards the EU.
„We recommend to give Ukraine the candidate status, on the understanding that the country will carry out a number of important reforms,” she added.
She said it had already implemented 70 percent of EU „rules, norms and standards” but noted that Kyiv had some more work to do when it comes to „the rule of law, oligarchs, anti-corruption and fundamental rights.”
Progress
Entrance into the European alliance is „merit-based,” she explained. „Progress depends entirely on Ukraine,” she added.
„Moldova is on a real pro-reform, anti-corruption and European path. It still has a long way to go. But we believe it has the potential to live up to the criteria,” she said Friday.
Leaders from the 27-nation bloc are set to discuss the president’s recommendation for the two countries next week in Brussels during a summit.
Moldova
Ukraine, along with Moldova and Georgia formally requested to join the EU just days after Russia invaded the former Soviet republic with the intention of taking over its eastern and southern regions.
Though Ukraine appears to have broad support for joining the EU, it remains unclear how quickly it could actually be brought into the alliance’s folds.
European dream
„Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective,” von der Leyen said Friday. „We want them to live with us the European dream.
Macron, Scholz, Iohannis and Draghi are in Kyiv to meet Zelensky
