Historic day: Ukraine received the status of an EU candidate country

The European Union granted Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel announced this on Twitter.

– Historic agreement. Historic decision. Today we have decided to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. And we are ready to grant candidate status to Georgia as soon as the priorities are resolved, – Michel wrote after the EU leaders' summit.

– Today is a good day for Europe. Congratulations to President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. Your countries are part of our European family. And today's historic decision of the Leaders confirms this.

This decision strengthens all of us. It strengthens Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the face of Russian imperialism. And it strengthens the EU. Because this once again shows the world that we are united and strong in the face of external threats. We are very pleased that the leaders supported our views.

Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia have work to do before moving on to the next stage of the process. I know they will move fast. They know how important this is for their democracy, their economy and their citizens,” von der Leyen wrote.

UKRAINE'S REACTION

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked EU leaders for the decision shortly after the announcement.

– I sincerely welcome the decision of EU leaders to grant Ukraine candidate status. This is a unique and historic moment in relations between Ukraine and the EU. I am grateful to Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of the EU states for their support. The future of Ukraine is in the EU,” he tweeted.

Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said on his Telegram channel that Ukraine will do everything to quickly implement the necessary plan to start accession negotiations The European Union.

The EU leaders made the decision belatedly. Some countries, in particular Austria and Slovenia, have expressed the need to grant status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This information was confirmed to Interfax-Ukraine by diplomatic sources in the EU.

The European Commission recommended granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate on 17 June. On June 23, the European Parliament supported granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate.