Ukraine official makes plea for EU candidate status

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, is expected to deliver its opinion next week based on Ukraine’s answers to a questionnaire received in April and early May

Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk, left, is welcomed by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola (Jean-Francois Badias/AP)

The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament has made a plea for his country to be named a candidate for European Union membership, a move that would bring the war-torn nation closer to the EU without guaranteeing its admittance.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, told EU lawmakers that failing to give Ukraine a sign of an open door would be a clear signal to Russian president Vladimir Putin that “he can be totally going forward without any punishment”.