Ukraine and Moldova Become EU Membership Candidates

The leaders of the European Union states and governments agreed at a summit in Brussels on the candidate status for joining the alliance for Ukraine and Moldova. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this on Twitter on June 23.

"Your countries are part of our European family. And this historic decision by EU leaders today confirms that," she wrote.

European Council President Charles Michel also described the decision as historic. "Today is a decisive step on your (Ukraine and Moldova's) path to the EU," he stated in a tweet.

Michel added that EU countries are also ready to grant candidate status for joining the alliance to Georgia, but only after the country meets certain conditions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the EU leaders' decision, calling it a unique moment in the relationship between his country and the European Union. "Ukraine's future is in the EU," he wrote on social media.