Following Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is expected to become an official applicant for European Union membership on Thursday, in a symbolic but morale-boosting step, ministers and ambassadors said on Tuesday, reported Reuters.
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EU leaders in Brussels are anticipated to approve the European Commission’s suggestion from last week. According to three officials, no opposition among the EU’s 27 member states has emerged after several days of private EU negotiations.
Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign affairs minister, told reporters before of a meeting with other EU ministers, “We are working towards the point where we tell (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that Ukraine belongs to Europe, that we will also defend the values that Ukraine defends.”
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Moldova is also about to be granted candidate status, according to diplomats, though Georgia must meet conditions, including breaking the country’s political gridlock.
Despite some reservations among northern EU nations that admitting Ukraine, which suffers from widespread corruption, is feasible, Denmark’s foreign minister said he supported the country’s candidacy.
“It’s very good and it’s something that Denmark whole-heartedly supports; we want to help Ukraine to achieve its European dream,” in Luxembourg, Jeppe Kofod informed reporters.
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While the EU’s candidacy marks a geopolitical eastward turn in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Kyiv will likely take years, if at all, to become a member of the bloc.
Ukraine now has a free trade agreement with the EU, although it applied to join just days after Russia invaded. Moscow claims that its “special military operation” was prompted in part by Western encroachment on what it considers to be its natural geographical area of influence.
So far, Putin has downplayed Ukraine’s EU membership.
