The European Union decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, a stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the necessary backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

European Council President Charles Michel, who was chairing a Brussels summit of the EU’s 27 leaders where the decision was made, called it “a clear signal of hope for their people and our continent.”

Although the process between opening negotiations and Ukraine finally becoming a member could take many years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the agreement as “a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe.”

“History is made by those who don’t get tired of fighting for freedom,” Zelenskyy said.

  • @muntedcrocodile@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    711 months ago

    Has europe finaly realised the russian threat? A more cinical person would say its cos once ukraine recaptures crimea they have mad oil and europe is in desperate need of oil independance from russia.