Michel – Zelensky – von der Leyen – Photo © European Union 2022
(BRUSSELS) – At a summit on Thursday, EU leaders made a historic decision to grant the status of European Union candidate to Ukraine and Moldova in the face of Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine.
“This is a historic moment which allows us to decide the contours of the European Union,” said the EU Council president Charles Michel. It sends out a very strong message of unity and determination, he said, adding that he had just congratulated Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, saying “Today marks a crucial step on your path towards the EU”.
President Zelensky welcomed the decision: “It’s a unique and historical moment in UA[Ukraine]-EU relations…” he tweeted. “Ukraine’s future is within the EU.”
Ukraine applied for EU membership on 28 February this year, shortly after Russia began its invasion of the country. In a statement, the European Council reiterated that it “firmly stands with Ukraine”, and that the European Union would continue to provide strong support for Ukraine’s overall economic, military, social and financial resilience, including humanitarian aid.
The Council again condemned in forceful terms Russia’s indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. It urges Russia “to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”.
The Council urged Russia to respect international humanitarian law, including on the treatment of prisoners of war, and brought particular attention to Ukrainians, notably children, who had been forcibly removed to Russia.
The EU leaders stressed their commitment to increasing military support to Ukraine to help it “exercise its inherent right of self-defence against the Russian aggression and defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty”.
In addition, the EU Commission is set to present a proposal to grant Ukraine new exceptional macro-financial assistance of up to EUR 9 billion in 2022.
The leaders strongly condemned Russia for weaponising food in its war against Ukraine, and its responsibility for the global food security crisis it has provoked.
The European Council is urging Russia “to immediately stop targeting agricultural facilities and removing cereals, and to unblock the Black Sea, in particular the port of Odesa, so as to allow the export of grain and commercial shipping operations”.
