The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), on Friday recommended that Ukraine be designated as a candidate for membership of the bloc, a milestone amid the war against Russia.
At the moment, however, the gesture largely has only symbolic weight, as the path to effective adherence can take years, or even decades, as the process requires profound reforms in the country.
Moscow, which invaded its neighbor in late February, will certainly object to the Brussels political move as unwanted interference in what it sees as its area of ​​influence.
Wearing a yellow coat and a blue T-shirt, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, announced the decision at a press conference. “Ukraine has clearly demonstrated its aspirations and determination to live up to European values ​​and standards.”
While some EU countries, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, do not support the inclusion of more countries as candidates to join the bloc, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won the support of France, Germany, Italy and Romania on Thursday, when the leaders of these nations traveled to Kiev.
During the visit, the first since the beginning of the conflict, Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, German Olaf Scholz, Italian Mario Draghi and Romanian Klaus Iohannis said that Ukraine belongs to the “European family”.
The Commission’s announcement will pave the way for EU heads of government to approve the new status at a summit next Thursday and Friday in Brussels, in a morale boost for Ukraine in the fight against Russian invasion. For the Kremlin, the war it calls a “special military operation” was partly necessary because of the Western advance in what it characterizes as its legitimate sphere of influence.
