The European Commission has confirmed its support for opening the formal accession process for Ukraine and Moldova to become members of the European Union and for other nations in the western Balkans to move forward with their own bids.
The wider context of war in Ukraine is a potent setup for commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s preference for a geopolitical union and a stronger voice for Europe in the world. Enlargement into the east is seen as a “geostrategic investment”.
The initial reaction of member states has, however, been mixed. Finland and Lithuania, which border Russia, are supportive. Germany and some other key players prefer to offer an observer rather than full membership status for the foreseeable future.
