EU Summit Set To Open Historic Path For Ukraine, Moldova

EU leaders are set to meet at a summit in Brussels with the approval of candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova at the top of the agenda.

All 27 bloc members must approve such a move, which seems unlikely to encounter any resistance at the June 23-24 summit in the Belgian capital. Georgia is expected to be informed that it will be granted the status of candidate country once Tbilisi meets a number of conditions.

“The European Council recognizes the European perspective of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. The future of these countries and their citizens lies within the European Union,” says the latest draft of the final declaration of the summit, a copy of which RFE/RL has seen.

“The progress of each country towards the European Union will depend on its own merit in meeting the Copenhagen criteria, taking into consideration the EU’s capacity to absorb new members,” it adds.

The unprecedented move by the European body comes as Kyiv fights a devastating war against Russia, which launched an unprovoked invasion of its neighbor on February 24 that has killed tens of thousands of people and caused huge material destruction.

European Council President Charles Michel urged the bloc’s leaders to make the “historic” decision to grant candidate status to war-torn Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova.

“This is a decisive moment for the European Union; this is also a geopolitical choice that we will make today. And I’m confident that today, we will grant the candidate status to Ukraine and to Moldova,” he told journalists in Brussels ahead of the summit.

EU leaders also will aim to maintain pressure on Russia at the summit by committing to further work on sanctions, including a possible move to make gold among the assets that may be targeted by any future measures.

The final draft also reiterates the bloc’s call for investigations into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine and says the bloc remains “strongly committed” to providing further military support for Ukraine and to “swiftly work” on increasing such support.

“International humanitarian law, including on the treatment of prisoners of war, must be respected. Ukrainians, notably children, who have been forcibly removed to Russia must be immediately allowed to return safely,” the document says.

“Russia, Belarus, and all those responsible for war crimes and the other most serious crimes will be held to account for their actions, in accordance with international law.”

Before the main summit begins in the afternoon on June 23, EU officials will hold a summit with leaders from the Western Balkans where they will affirm their commitment to admitting countries from the region and call “for the acceleration of the accession process.”

EU and NATO member Bulgaria has been opposing Albania and North Macedonia’s accession to the bloc because of historical, language, and cultural differences.

On June 23, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama described the stalled accession process for Albania and North Macedonia as a “disgrace.”

“It is a shame that a NATO country, Bulgaria, kidnaps two other NATO countries, Albania and North Macedonia, in the midst of a hot war in Europe’s backyard with 26 other countries sitting still in a scary show of impotence,” Rama said.

“It’s a good thing to give [Ukraine] candidate status, but I hope the Ukrainian people will not make many illusions about it,” Rama said./RFE-RL, With reporting by Reuters and dpa