Ukraine and Moldova have officially been granted E-U candidate status, moving the nations one step closer to joining the union
At a European leaders meeting in Brussels, the decision comes nearly four months after Ukraine’s Zelensky launched his country’s bid to join the bloc, and deals a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But the Kremlin has been acting as though it’s no big deal, with Putin claiming he has “nothing against” the possible membership, saying it’s Ukraine’s “sovereign decision” to join or not.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has welcomed the move, calling it “a unique and historic moment” and says his country’s future is in the EU.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has declared it “a good day for Europe”.
While candidate status is the first official step toward E-U membership, it can take many years to join and there’s no guarantee the process will be successful.
The process can also go into reverse, if a future Ukrainian government fails to implement certain reforms on the rule of law and its economy.
But the Commission president has hope.
