EU leaders to give Ukraine candidate status

The EU leaders on Thursday are set to give Ukraine candidate status to join the 27 nation bloc, a first step in a long and unpredictable journey that could take many years to reach full membership.

After Russia launched its invasion on February 24, the war-torn country seems to be a done deal after leaders were initially divided as to how fast they could move to embrace the war-torn country's bid.

Several EU diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity before the summit in Brussels, Ukraine will get the unanimous approval required for the start of the discussions.

The EU's 27 nations have been united in backing Ukraine's resistance to Russia's invasion, a move that has resulted in unprecedented economic sanctions against Moscow. The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark were among the most skeptical, as they were initially divided on how quickly the EU should move to accept Ukraine as a member.

Ukraine's bid got a boost last week when the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, gave its seal of approval based on Ukraine's answers to a questionnaire received in April and early May.

Ukraine received another shot in the arm when the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited the country and vowed to back its candidacy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with 11 EU leaders on Wednesday after he was called nine the day before, another indication of how important EU candidacy is for Ukraine. He said the meeting in Brussels will be an historic session of the European Council. EU candidate status doesn't give an automatic right to join the bloc, and doesn't provide any security guarantees.

The start of the accession negotiations for Ukraine will depend on how the country will be able to meet essential political and economic conditions.

Potential newcomers need to show that they meet standards on democratic principles, and they have to absorb about 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade and immigration to fertilizers and rule of law.

The bloc can provide technical and financial assistance to countries with candidate status, but can also decide to revoke the status if the required reforms aren't implemented.

European officials have said that Ukraine has already implemented 70% of the EU's rules, norms and standards, but has also pointed out corruption and the need for deep political and economic reforms.

It is unlikely that the talks could start before the year next year, with the possibility that the war could drag on for a long time, adding to the uncertainty.

The fight against corruption and the establishment of an effective rule of law will need to be considered, according to Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. I am convinced that it is the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine that will provide opportunities to take important steps forward. Leaders will debate Thursday on a recommendation for the European Commission to grant Moldova a candidate status as a tiny, non-NATO country that borders Ukraine. The stalled enlargement process to include Western Balkans countries in the bloc is also on their agenda.