EU grants Ukraine and Moldova candidate status for bloc membership | Globalism

However, the process of integration into the bloc of countries may take years.

Consensus is needed from 27 countries of European Union Nomination approved Ukrainewhich was previously supported by the European Commission, the executive arm of European Unionthe main economies of the bloc, although some members hesitated.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked European leaders to agree to Ukraine.

ukrainian president, Volodymyr ZelenskyOn Wednesday, he said, he ran a “phone marathon” during which he spoke with 11 European leaders to advocate for the candidacy.

This is a welcome script Ukrainewhich was unimaginable until recently, was forced upon the mass of society with the war he had started Russia Four months ago.

Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media that the decision “strengthens UkraineMoldova and Georgia against Russian imperialism.

According to the New York Times, the decision European Union To legalize the Ukrainian candidacy should bother RussiaWho previously described aspirations Ukraine To join Western institutions as a provocation and interference in the Russian sphere of influence.

The leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans who have been negotiating membership for several years made no secret of their discontent.

The Prime Minister of Albania (a candidate country that has been waiting for news since 2014), Edi Rama, said that Ukraine He should have no “illusions” about the success of his candidacy.

“North Macedonia has been a candidate for 17 years, if I don’t lose count. Albania has been running for 8 years. So welcome, Ukraine. Good to file Ukraine Recognized (candidate country) status. But I hope the Ukrainians are not under illusions.”

On the war front, Ukrainian forces lost control of two positions in the Donbass region, in the east of the country, amid fighting to maintain their sovereignty in the cities of Severodonetsk and Lysechansk, Luhansk governor reported.

“We have lost control of Loskutivka and Rai-Oleksandrivka,” said Sergei Gaiday, referring to two locations southeast of Lysychansk.

With this, the Russian forces were able to advance further into the Donbass, as they appear to be close to encircling the two urban centers of Severodonetsk and Lychansk, separated by the Donets River.

Gidayi said Russian forces were trying to take control of Severodonetsk, an industrial city with a pre-war population of nearly 100,000 that the Ukrainian army is trying to defend.

The Ukraine It has received Western military aid and has now added US Hemar missile launch systems to its arsenal, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced, without specifying how many launchers have arrived.

With a range of up to 80 km, this system is very accurate, superior to that of the Russians. However, the representative of the pro-Russia The Ukrainian resistance in Lysekhansk and Severodonetsk was described as “useless”.

“I believe that at the rate at which our soldiers are going, the entire territory of the Lugansk People’s Republic will soon be liberated,” said Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Maruchko.

Attacks are taking place in other parts of the country, such as the northeastern Kharkiv region, where fifteen people were killed on Tuesday, and the southern city of Mykolaiv, where Russia On Thursday, it announced the destruction of 49 fuel tanks and three armored vehicles.

Putin asks for cooperation from BRICS

Russian President Vladimir Putin asked the BRICS countries (Brazil, RussiaIndia, China and South Africa) increased cooperation to deal with the “selfish acts” of Western countries.

Putin denounced the attempts of these countries “to use financial mechanisms to hold everyone accountable for the mistakes of their macroeconomic policies.” According to Putin, the BRICS countries can count on the support of “many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America that aspire to independent politics.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on African countries to “stay together.” Ukraineand “not to buy stolen Ukrainian grain” by Russian forces.

Thursday’s European summit in Brussels will be followed by another summit of the Group of Seven with the great Western powers, and a third of NATO, in which US President Joe Biden will participate.

These three meetings will discuss how to provide financial assistance Ukraine. According to the White House, Volodymyr Zelensky will intervene in the G7 and NATO meetings via video conference.