Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP / Getty Images
The European Union is opening up membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
"The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine & Moldova. #EUCO granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision. A clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent," Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said on X.
The move comes at a critical time for Ukraine as it continues to fight a war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging Western nations to provide additional money and weapons so his country can continue to combat the Russian aggression.
While the United States and other nations provided financial assistance and access to weapons and military equipment when Russia first invaded in February 2022, many have questioned the need to send additional funds to the country.
In the U.S., Republican lawmakers have refused to provide additional financial assistance unless they can reach a deal with Democrats to secure the southern border with Mexico.
Zelenskyy reacted to the news on X, calling the decision to open talks a "victory for all of Europe."
"This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens," Zelensky wrote in reply to Michel's social media post.