Speaking in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission recommended “Ukraine to be granted candidate status. This, of course, is provided that the country will carry out a number of further reforms. “
“According to the Commission, Ukraine clearly demonstrates the country’s aspirations and the country’s determination to live in line with European values and standards.
Von der Leyen concluded his statement with the words: “We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective. We want them to live the European dream with us. “
The commission also recommended candidate status for Ukraine’s neighboring Moldova, but not for Georgia, until it meets additional conditions. The leaders of the 27 EU member states will now meet at a summit next week to discuss their views.
Even if member states agree that Ukraine should be a candidate nation – which is far from certain – the EU accession process is complex and takes an average of just under five years, according to the think tank, the United Kingdom in a changing Europe.
During a joint news conference in Kyiv on Thursday with the EU’s top three political leaders, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said Russia’s attack on his country was tantamount to an attack on all of Europe.
He added that the best way to demonstrate “our common and strong position” is to support Ukraine’s integration into the EU, adding that its status as an EU candidate “can historically expand freedom in Europe and become in one of the key European decisions of the first third of the 21st century. “
Zelensky said Ukraine is ready to work to become a full member of the EU: “We understand that the road to the European Union is indeed a road and not a step. But this path must begin, and we are ready to work so that our country is transformed into a full member of the European Union and the Ukrainians have already won the right to take this path. “
Macron later said that the eventual granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine was a result of Russia’s invasion. He spoke in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV on Friday on board a train leaving Ukraine.
“Usually Ukraine should not be a candidate,” he said after a visit to Kyiv. “We are doing it because of the war and because we think it is good.
“This is a sign of hope, this is a message for Ukraine to say that they are in the European family,” he said.
Although Macron said most of Western Europe supports the plan, “we have countries that are more restrained,” he said.
The French leader added that the issue of Ukraine’s EU bid would be resolved at a European Council summit next Thursday and Friday.
“The road to EU accession is a long one,” he added.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihal expressed his gratitude for the EC’s decision. “Thanks to @vonderleyen for this decision!” He said via Twitter. “This will speed up the process completely [Ukrainian] integration in [European] internal market and effectively accompany the recovery of #Ukraine to EU standards. “
The Kremlin has said development requires “increased attention” from Moscow. “We all know about the revitalization in Europe and the discussions on strengthening the EU’s defense component. Therefore, there are various transformations that we are witnessing, “said spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a daily interview with reporters.
What happens next?
Ukraine will now work to meet the Copenhagen criteria, an opaque troika of requirements that the EU must meet, which candidate country has met in order to enter the right accession talks. They focus on whether the country has a functioning free market economy, whether the country’s institutions are fit to uphold European values such as human rights and the EU’s interpretation of the rule of law, and whether the country has a functioning, inclusive democracy.
There are also real fears that Ukraine is far from meeting the Copenhagen criteria soon. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021, Ukraine is 122nd on its list of 180 countries. By comparison, Russia is in 136th place.
Once the country is considered to have met these criteria, it can start the EU’s 35 negotiating chapters, the last three of which return to some areas of the Copenhagen criteria.
Then, when the leaders of the EU member states agree, it must be ratified by the European Parliament and the legislative branches of the government of each Member State.
CNN’s Joseph Ataman, Camille Knight, Anna Chernova and Niam Kennedy contributed to this report.
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