The European Union is likely to make a decision on granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate today. According to media reports, the war-torn nation may join the 27 countries group today itself.
EU officials said that the procedure for reviewing Ukraine's application for European Union membership has started and the country may be granted the membership today.
Earlier on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had signed Ukraine's European Union membership application. The application was then handed over to Léglise-Costa, France’s permanent representative to the EU.
According to EU procedure, the membership application needs to be submitted to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Council is currently headed by France.
"Application is registered. Process has been started," Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community, tweeted.
According to the Deputy Head of the President's Office, Zelenskyy also signed a joint request with the head of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine and Prime Minister Dmytro Shmygal.
"I have signed Ukraine's European Union membership application. I am sure that we can achieve this," Zelenskyy said.
On Monday morning, Zelenskyy had addressed the European Union regarding Ukraine's accession under a special procedure. Zelenskyy had said, "Ukrainians deserve EU membership."
After Russia's invasion, several EU countries called upon the EU to give Ukraine a pathway to membership, and Slovakia proposed a special procedure for Ukraine's accession to the EU.
The European Union is a group of 27 countries that acts as one economic unit in the world economy.
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