Police investigating killings of 12,000 Ukrainians in war
Ukraine's national police chief says authorities are investigating the killings of more than 12,000 Ukrainians nationwide in the war Russia is waging.
2 years ago
A protestor wears a flower headband in the Ukraine colors as she participates in a demonstration in support of Ukraine outside of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
The European Union has agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, setting in motion a potentially yearslong process that could pull the embattled country further away from Russia’s influence and bind it more closely to the West.
Ukraine applied for EU membership less than a week after Moscow invaded on Feb. 24.
The decision by the leaders of the 27-nation bloc to grant Ukraine candidate status Thursday was uncharacteristically rapid for the EU. But the war and Ukraine’s request for fast-track consideration lent urgency to its cause.
The EU also granted candidate status to Moldova, which borders Ukraine.
Gaining membership could take years or even decades. Countries must meet a detailed host of economic and political conditions, including a commitment to the rule of law and other democratic principles.
Ukraine will have to curb government corruption and adopt other reforms.