EU commission recommends Ukraine be given candidate status

BRUSSELS • The European Commission yesterday recommended that Ukraine be granted candidate status in the country's bid to become a member of the European Union - the first formal step in a process that normally lasts longer than a decade.

It also recommended a similar status for Moldova - which applied for membership to the bloc soon after Ukraine, spurred by concerns about Russia's threats in the region - but not for neighbouring Georgia, which was deemed not ready for EU candidacy.

The move regarding Ukraine took on an air of greater inevitability on Thursday when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron joined other leaders visiting Kyiv in publicly announcing their unanimous support for Ukraine's pathway. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen also opened yesterday's meeting of EU commissioners in Brussels wearing a blue shirt and a yellow blazer - Ukraine's national colours.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the commission's move and said it would help his country's efforts to stave off Russian aggression. "It's the first step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our victory closer," he wrote on Twitter.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the commission's backing as "European history in the making" in a post on social media and called for Ukraine to be granted full candidacy status.

"This will be a vivid proof of European leadership and a huge boost for Ukraine's further transformations," he said.

But Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Brussels of "manipulating" Ukraine. "We see how, for many years, the Western community has been manipulating the idea of some kind of involvement of Ukraine in their integration structures," ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Ukraine, however, is getting "worse and worse", she added.

The commission's recommendation is just the first step on a long road. The ultimate decision will be in the hands of EU leaders who will meet next week in Brussels to tackle the thorny question. And the commission stressed that Ukraine's and Moldova's candidate statuses are tied to overhauls on the rule of law, justice and anti-corruption.

Mr Oliver Varhelyi, the bloc's top official for enlargement, told reporters: "Starting accession negotiations is further down the line. Today, it's not about that. Once conditions are met, then we'll have to come back to it and reflect."

Meanwhile, Britain was set to welcome representatives from Ukraine and business leaders yesterday to discuss how British companies can help rebuild key infrastructure in Kyiv. Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan will seek to promote collaboration between British companies in infrastructure, energy and transport, and Ukrainian public and private organisations to help repair damaged and destroyed infrastructure.

Ms Trevelyan will also announce changes to trade remedy measures, including reallocating ring-fenced market access for steel imports from Russia and Belarus to other countries including Ukraine.

The support provided will form part of Britain's commitment to provide a combined economic, humanitarian and military support package worth around US$3 billion (S$4.16 billion).

In a separate development, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will head to Europe for a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) meeting this month, in what the new leader has described as a show of support for Ukraine in the face of "thuggish, illegal behaviour" by Russia.

In an interview with Sky News Australia yesterday, Mr Albanese did not confirm whether he would accept an invitation by Mr Zelensky to visit Kyiv but said he would attend the Nato meeting in Madrid on June 29.

"I'm going to Nato as a priority because Australia is actually the largest non-Nato contributor to the efforts to support sovereignty in Ukraine and to support the people of Ukraine standing up against this thuggish, illegal behaviour of Russia," he said.

NYTIMES, REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BLOOMBERG