Brussels To Report On Opening Door For Ukraine EU Bid

Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Nov, 2023) The EU's executive gives its advice Wednesday on whether Ukraine is ready to begin formal membership talks, as momentum builds in favour of Kyiv's ambition to join the bloc.

Ukraine launched its bid to become part of the European Union in the weeks after Moscow's all-out invasion in 2022, and was officially named a candidate to join last June.

Now the European Commission is delivering its verdict on whether Kyiv has made good on initial reforms, and then it will be for the EU's 27 leaders at a summit in December to decide to start talks or not.

The broad expectation in Brussels is that Ukraine -- along with ex-Soviet neighbour Moldova -- will get the commission's backing to move to the next stage.

On Saturday, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen praised Kyiv for completing "way over 90 percent" of seven reform benchmarks Brussels had set, including tackling graft and curbing oligarch power.

"I am confident that you can reach your ambitious goal: That is, for the historic decision to open the process of accession negotiations to be taken already this year," she told Ukraine's parliament during a visit to Kyiv.

If war-torn Ukraine does get the nod, it will still only be at the start of a painstaking process of reforms that could still last for years -- if not decades -- before it joins the EU.

Turkey began accession talks in 2005, but those are at a dead end. Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are in negotiations as well.

The war in Ukraine has breathed fresh life into the EU's stalled push to take on new members, as the bloc looks to keep Russian and Chinese influence at bay.

Bosnia became a candidate in December and Georgia is pushing to become one. Both are hoping to get backing from Brussels to progress.