Ukraine and Moldova have both been granted EU candidate status, President of the European Council Charles Michel has announced.
“Today marks a crucial step on your path towards the EU,” Mr Michel said, describing the European Council’s decision as a “historic moment”.
Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky, hailed Thursday’s decision.
“It’s a unique and historical moment in Ukraine-EU relations…” he tweeted. “Ukraine’s future is within the EU.”
Candidate status is the first official step towards EU membership. But it can take many years to join and there’s no guarantee of success.
