EC chief calls on Council to take ‘historic responsibility’ for Ukraine

Brussels, Jun 22 (EFE).- European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday called on EU member states to “live up to the historic responsibility” ahead of a European Council summit that will decide whether Ukraine is granted candidate status to join the bloc.

At a European Parliament plenary debate, von der Leyen stressed that Brussels’ positive recommendation for Ukraine to be given the status is an evidence-based decision.

“It is now up to the European Council to decide and live up to the historic responsibility we are confronted with,” she said. “The whole history of our European Union is one of young democracies getting stronger together.”

“It is the history of Germany’s rebirth after WWII, it is the history of Greece, Spain and Portugal moving decisively from dictatorship to democracy in the mid-1970s,” she added.

EU leaders will hold a two-day summit this week to decide whether to grant Ukraine the status it applied for in the wake of the Russian invasion that began on 24 February.

The European Commission has recommended that Kyiv obtain the candidate status, but the recommendation has to be adopted unanimously by the member states.

They will also decide on granting Moldova the same status, while Georgia also aspires to join the EU. Both countries have sped up the process since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. EFE

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