EU Leaders Will Back Ukraine As Candidate Member Today — Here’s What That Means

Topline

European leaders on Thursday are expected to unanimously back Ukraine as an official candidate for EU membership, a major symbolic victory for Kyiv as it fights off Russian invaders and the first step in a long, arduous journey to join the bloc that has no guarantee of success and could take decades.

Key Facts

European leaders are expected to back Ukraine as a candidate for EU membership at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, endorsed Ukraine as a candidate country on Friday, a day after leaders from Germany, France and Italy—the EU’s three most powerful members—voiced their support during a visit to Kyiv.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the recommendation came with the understanding that Ukraine will take steps to implement a number of judicial and anti-corruption reforms.

Candidate status is the first step in a lengthy membership process to join the bloc, which entails sweeping reforms designed to bring a country in line with the EU’s standards, laws, regulations and economy.

Formal candidacy does not automatically launch negotiations to join the EU or even indicate a timeframe for these discussions.

Key Background

Securing candidate status to join the EU is a major symbolic victory for Kyiv and a boost to morale after four months of fighting. While Ukraine has long sought EU membership—something hampered by historic opposition from Moscow—the prospect seemed a distant dream before Russia’s invasion. Kyiv formally applied for EU membership in late February, just days after Putin invaded, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has undertaken extensive lobbying efforts since to press European leaders to fast-track the process. Even if expedited, accession is not guaranteed and could be years, if not decades, away. France’s President Emmanuel Macron said it could take Ukraine decades to join.

Tangent

Ukraine’s push for membership has reignited discussions of EU expansion. On Friday, the European Commission also endorsed candidate status for Moldova, which applied, alongside Georgia, around the same time as Ukraine. Von der Leyen said the Commission will not be endorsing Georgia for candidate status, however, citing the country’s need to make further progress towards improving democracy, the judicial system and safeguarding fundamental rights. The commission recommended all three countries for “membership perspective,” which is consideration as a potential candidate under certain conditions. The announcement prompted thousands of people to come out and support Georgia’s EU application in Tbilisi. There are five other candidate countries vying for EU membership—Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey—and several potential candidates, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Further Reading

Big deal: What does EU candidate status actually mean for Ukraine? (Politico)

EU Backs Ukraine’s Membership Bid—But Here’s Why Some Member States Oppose A Fast Track Application (Forbes)