The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on European Union (EU) leaders to grant candidate status to Ukraine “without delay,” a historic decision that opens up the possibility of the war-torn country’s inclusion in the group.

The resolution, which was passed by 529 votes to 45 and also called for candidacy statuses for Moldova and Georgia, said that such a move would “send a clear political message, affirming that the countries concerned have made the irrevocable choice of a European path.”

The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also said that granting candidacy status to the three countries would allow the EU to remain a “reliable partner and a credible geopolitical player, which lives up to its principles and values,” and would show “solidarity with those who defend the same ideals.”

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In response to their decision to grant candidacy status to the three countries, European lawmakers called for Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Georgian governments to “unambiguously demonstrate their political determination to implement the European ambitions of their people” and “significantly enhancing progress with substantial reforms in order to effectively fulfil the criteria for EU membership as soon as possible.”

European lawmakers further said that the non-binding resolution to grant candidacy status to the three countries did not guarantee their inclusion, stressing that there was “no ‘fast-track’ for EU membership.”

The MEPs went on to emphasize that membership to the EU “remains a merit-based and structured process which requires the fulfilment of the EU membership criteria and is dependent on the effective implementation of reforms” as well as transposing all EU legislation into domestic law.

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While the road ahead is a lengthy one, the move still marks a historic breakthrough for Ukraine, which has been seeking EU membership since the ‘orange revolution’ of 2004.

Calls to join the EU increased further in Ukraine following the 2013-14 Maidan protests that saw the country’s pro-Kremlin president, Viktor Yanukovych, ousted after he refused to sign an agreement with the EU.

Although Ukraine’s membership into the EU was taken off the table afterwards due to widespread corruption in the eastern European country, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the situation, and Kyiv finally finds itself on a long-awaited path.