Ukrainians have said they are ready to die for the European perspective, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintains that Ukraine has powerful support in Europe for joining the EU0:46.
Ukraine may become a member of the European Union after the EU Commission proposed it as a candidate, the first step on a long road toward membership for the war-torn country.
According to Ukraine’s commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, who announced Ukrainians stand on joining the EU0:46, the decision was on the understanding that Ukraine carried out a number of reforms, Von der Leyen added.
In her words: “We want them to live with us, the European dream. Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the country’s aspiration and the country’s determination to live up to European values and standards,” she said.
President Zelenskyy hailed the news from Brussels as a “big step forward”.
Ukraine applied for membership in the bloc less than a week after Russia first invaded the country.
On Thursday, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Romania all visited Ukraine and vowed to back Kyiv in becoming an official candidate.
President Zelenskyy said Ukraine had “powerful” support from these countries.
“It was important for me to hear another fundamental thing from the leaders – they agree that the end of the war in Ukraine and peace must be determined exactly as Ukraine sees them,” President Zelenskyy said.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) gathered that the move is unlikely to sit well with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who does not want Ukraine to have a strong relationship with the West.
The recommendation will now be discussed by leaders of the 27 EU member states at a summit next week in Brussels.
However, that does not mean that Ukraine is about to join the ranks of EU member states, because the subsequent path to membership can be a long one.
Candidate status for Georgia
Candidate status was also recommended for Moldova, while things remain a little trickier for Georgia, which also applied for membership.
Ms Von der Leyen said although Georgia had a strong application, it had yet to come together politically.
Turkey was actually declared an official candidate at the end of the last century, but has no chance of joining the bloc in the foreseeable future.