The European Union on Thursday formally made Ukraine a candidate for membership in the 27-nation alliance, delivering what could be a major morale boost for Ukrainian troops while also dealing a significant blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s drive to pull Kyiv away from the West.
As the Russian invasion marks its fourth month of fighting this week, EU nations voted unanimously in favor of Ukraine‘s candidacy during a summit in Brussels, though the approval process is likely to take at least several years. Thursday’s move by the EU is the latest unintended consequence of Mr.