Good morning. Ukraine has been hoping for EU membership for decades, but the prospect of it actually happening only became likely after Russia’s invasion posed an existential threat to Europe for the first time since the second world war. Weeks after the war erupted in February last year, Ukraine and Moldova applied for membership of the EU; in June they were both granted candidate status.
After waiting just under 18 months, the European Commission announced yesterday that it was recommending that formal talks begin on Moldova and Ukraine joining the European Union.
Any country that wants to join the EU must fulfil certain conditions. The commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, applauded the Ukrainians’ pace of reform even as they continue to fight against Russia. She declared that Ukraine had more or less completed all seven clusters of reforms demanded of it last summer, with some “leftovers” needing to be completed in relation to corruption and the rights of minorities including ethnic Hungarian and Romanian communities.
This is a significant moment for Ukraine, but it is also just a first step in a long and meandering process that will take years.
For today’s newsletter, I spoke with Lisa O’Carroll, the Guardian’s Brussels correspondent, about what this says about the potential new era of EU enlargement. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
Conservatives | Suella Braverman has launched a full-throated attack on policing “double standards” after the head of the Metropolitan police gave the go-ahead for a pro-Palestine march on Saturday, Armistice Day.
Israel-Hamas war | The US, for the second time in recent weeks, has carried out strikes against a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon said was used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and affiliated groups, as fears grow that the Gaza war could spread in the region.
Strikes | The RMT union has reached a possible deal with train operators to resolve their long-running national rail dispute, allaying fears of a repeat of last year’s Christmas strikes.
Environment | Japan has gained another island to add to its already impressive collection, after an undersea volcanic eruption 1,200km south of Tokyo created a new landmass.
US news | Hollywood actors are set to end their nearly four-month strike, the Sag-Aftra union announced on Wednesday, bringing to a close a historic work stoppage that had brought the film and television industry to a standstill for months.
In depth: ‘The EU are doing their damnedest to bring countries into their tight embrace’
In the highly anticipated 1,200 page report, the European Commission recommended formal membership negotiations should begin with Ukraine and Moldova, once they have fulfilled certain reforms relating to corruption, security and their economies. The recommendation comes…
2023-11-09 01:29:42
Original from www.theguardian.com
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