Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel announced via tweet that Ukraine and Moldova were granted European Union candidate status during EU summit today.
“European Council has granted the status of candidate country to Ukraine and Moldova. Historic moment and a signal of hope for the Ukranian (sic) people,” Prime Minister wrote.
Last week, Ukraine’s EU membership bid was overwhelmingly backed by the European Union Commission, and earlier today, the European Parliament strongly supported a proposal to grant European Union candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine.
The European Council also “decided to recognize the European perspective of Georgia and is ready to grant candidate status once the outstanding priorities are addressed,” President of the European Council Charles Michel said.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said ahead of the summit that granting Ukraine EU-candidate status was an important “symbolic message” to support Kiev amid the heinous war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the European Union’s decision to grant Ukraine candidate status, calling the development a “unique and historic” moment.
“Sincerely commend EU leaders’ decision at [the European Council summit] to grant Ukraine a candidate status. It’s a unique and historical moment in Ukraine-EU relations,” Zelensky tweeted.
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