President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Viktor Kovalchuk | Getty Pictures
Ukraine has moved just one stage closer to European Union membership soon after leaders in Brussels agreed to open negotiations with the war-torn country.
In a shock announcement late Thursday, EU summit chair Charles Michel, who is the European Council president, claimed leaders had resolved to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.
The European Council has determined to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova,” he reported via X.
“#EUCO granted prospect status to Ga. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time the vital degree of compliance with the membership criteria is attained and has invited the fee to report by March with a see to getting this kind of a decision,” he added.
“A crystal clear sign of hope for their folks and for our continent.”
The agreement will come regardless of Hungary pledging to block this choice for the duration of the existing two-working day EU summit. A handful of other EU member states, these kinds of as Italy, have also elevated problems in excess of enlarging the EU.
Information of the settlement had been not right away obvious and there was no confirmation on no matter if talks would begin now or in March.
European heads of state experienced been gearing up for a complicated two-working day collecting exactly where guidance for Ukraine is at the top rated of the agenda. The meeting will come at a crunch time for Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hops throughout the entire world trying to find even further help in the fight against Russia’s invasion.
Talking by using X, Zelenskyy replied to Michel stating it was “a victory” for his state and Europe. “A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens,” he claimed, in accordance to a Reuters translation.
Hungary’s Key Minister Viktor Orban, meanwhile, referred to as it a bad conclusion and reported through Fb that his region did not take part in the selection-creating system.
-CNBC’s Silvia Amaro contributed to this short article.