European Union Gives Green Light for Ukraine and Moldova to Begin Membership Negotiations

European leaders have taken the decision to initiate EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, while also granting candidate status to Georgia. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has welcomed this decision and sees it as a victory for both his country and Europe. The agreement was reached unanimously according to a spokesperson for Charles Michel, President of the European Council. Although Hungary has been against starting talks with Ukraine in the past, they did not oppose the decision this time. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made it clear through a Facebook post that Hungary does not support Ukraine's EU membership. Despite this, Zelensky expressed his delight with the EU's announcement, considering it a triumph for Ukraine and for Europe as a whole. Ukraine and Moldova had applied to join the EU following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last June, they were both granted candidate status, while Georgia was not included at the time.