Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union was given a considerable boost on Friday as the European Commission recommended the country become a candidate for membership.
It is the first step in a lengthy process to secure membership and comes a day after French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis vowed to back Kyiv’s candidacy on a visit to Ukraine’s capital.
“The commission recommends... Ukraine is given candidate status,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference, dressed in Ukraine‘s national colours of a yellow jacket and blue shirt.
