By John Owen Nwachukwu French President Emmanuel Macron has said that it wouldn’t have been possible granting European Union candida...
By John Owen Nwachukwu
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that it wouldn’t
have been possible granting European Union candidate status to Ukraine if not
for Russia’s invasion.
Macron told CNN and BFMTV on Friday that “Ukraine normally
should not be a candidate” and that they were “doing it because of the war and
because we think it’s good.”
He stated this on board a train leaving Ukraine after his
visit to Kyiv, where he was a member of a European delegation to smoothen
tensions over what Ukrainian officials perceive as lukewarm support of their
defense against Russia.
“It’s a sign of hope, it’s a message for Ukraine to say that
they are in the European family,” the French leader said.
While Macron said most of western Europe was supportive of
the plan, “we have countries that are more reticent,” he said.
The French leader added that the question of Ukraine’s
candidacy for the EU will be decided at the European Council summit next
Thursday and Friday.
“The path is long to join the EU,” he added.
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