EU leaders about to decide on Ukraine’s EU candidacy bid

European Council President Charles Michel has published an invitation letter to the members of the Council ahead of their meeting in Brussels on June 23-24, 2022, that Michel believes could be of a great significance for Ukraine’s European integration.

The letter was published on the Council’s webpage, Ukrinform reports.

“With war back in Europe, we have taken unprecedented action, projecting the EU’s geopolitical clout. We now need to take further steps to strengthen our continent’s security and stability. This will be the main focus of our European Council meeting on 23-24 June. Now is the time to acknowledge that the future of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia lies within the EU. I will invite you to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. In parallel, we will continue to provide Ukraine with strong humanitarian, military, economic and financial support,” the letter reads.

The Western Balkans are important to the EU, and the EU is important to the Western Balkans, Michel said, adding that the EU must therefore re-energize the enlargement process and advance the integration of our Western Balkan partners. “We will meet them before our formal European Council,” he wrote.

“The consequences of the war are being felt far beyond our region. Russia is weaponising food supplies, stealing grain, blocking ports and turning Ukrainian farmlands into battlefields. This affects many countries, especially in Africa, risking famine and political and social instability. Building on our efforts to help Ukraine export its grain, we will discuss further measures to tackle these issues,” the letter reads.

Michel noted that the Conference on the Future of Europe has involved European citizens and made proposals aiming at improving the functioning of our Union. The current situation requires an in-depth discussion during the Euro Summit, in the presence of the President of the European Central Bank and the President of the Eurogroup.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on June 17, the European Commission issued an opinion on Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia’s applications for EU membership. According to the opinion, which will be considered by the European Council on June 23-24, Ukraine and Moldova received European prospects and a recommendation for obtaining a candidate status, along with a number of tasks that are yet to be fulfilled. At this stage, Georgia received only a European prospect, which as such is a recognition of the country’s clear path toward European integration.