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Ukraine takes ‘historic step’ towards EU membership amid war with Russia
- Ukraine has been invited to start European Union membership talks as soon as it meets final conditions
- The bid could face opposition from Hungary, which wants Ukraine to change its laws on minorities
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised as a “historic step” a recommendation by the European Union executive on Wednesday to invite Kyiv to begin membership talks as soon as it meets final conditions, even as it fights to repel Russia’s war.
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The recommendation by the European Commission is an important milestone on Kyiv’s road to Western integration and a geopolitical gambit for the EU as Ukraine has been fighting against a large-scale Russian invasion since February 2022.
The Commission said the talks should formally be launched once Kyiv satisfies the remaining conditions related to reining in corruption, adopting a law on lobbying in line with EU standards and strengthening national minority safeguards.
“This is a strong and historic step that paves the way to a stronger EU with Ukraine as its member,” Zelensky said on social media, vowing to press on with the necessary reforms.
The 27 national EU leaders are next due to decide mid-December on whether to accept the Commission’s recommendation. Any such decision requires unanimity of the bloc’s 27 members, with Hungary seen as the main potential obstacle.
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