The European Union's executive arm has recommended that Ukraine be granted candidate status to join the 27-nation bloc, as Vladimir Putin's war continues to unite Europe.
President Volodymyr Zelensky applied for Ukraine to join the EU just four days after Russian troops launched Moscow's invasion on the country in February.
The promise of membership in a union created to safeguard peace holds deep symbolism for the nation at war, but it is only the first step in a process that could take decades.
