Ukraine moves step closer to EU membership as it is granted candidate status

President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was ‘the first step on the EU membership path that’ll certainly bring our victory closer’

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Ukraine will have candidate status (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union was given a considerable boost on Friday as the European Commission recommended the country become a candidate for membership.

It is the first step in a lengthy process to secure membership and comes a day after French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis vowed to back Kyiv’s candidacy on a visit to Ukraine’s capital.

“The commission recommends... Ukraine is given candidate status,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, dressed in Ukraine‘s national colours of a yellow jacket and blue shirt.