Ukraine is set to become the official candidate for EU membership on Thursday in a symbolic but morale-boosting decision following Russia’s invasion, ministers and diplomats said on Tuesday.
EU leaders in Brussels are expected to sign off on last week’s recommendation by the European Commission, the EU executive. Three diplomats told Reuters that after several days of internal EU discussions, no opposition had emerged between the 27 member states.
“We’re working toward the point where we tell (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that Ukraine belong to Europe, that we will also defend the values that Ukraine defends,” Luxembourg’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Esselborn told reporters ahead of a meeting with other EU ministers.
Moldova is also almost certain to be given candidate status, diplomats said, although Georgia must meet conditions, namely, the political deadlock in the country.
Despite some misconceptions among northern EU countries that Ukraine, which is plagued by endemic corruption, is unrealistic, Denmark’s foreign minister said he welcomed giving it candidacy status.
“It’s great and it’s something that Denmark wholeheartedly supports; we want to help Ukraine achieve its European dream,” Jeppe Kofod told reporters in Luxembourg.
While Russia’s candidacy in Ukraine would mark a strategic eastward shift by the EU, it will likely take years for Kyiv to become a member of the bloc, if at all.
Ukraine already has a free trade agreement with the European Union, but applied to join days after Russia’s invasion. Moscow maintains that its “special military operation” was partly necessitated by Western encroachment which it marks as its true geographic area of influence.
Putin has so far not given importance to Ukraine’s membership of the European Union.
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