European Commission recommends EU candidate status for Ukraine

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has welcomed the recommendation from the European Commission, saying it will place Ukraine on the path to EU membership, "where it belongs".

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and France's President Emmanuel Macron shake hands at the end of a press conference at the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv on Thursday. Picture: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

The European Union’s executive arm has recommended making Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, a first step on what is expected to be a long road for the war-torn country to join the 27-nation bloc.

The European Commission delivered its proposal to award Ukraine candidate status after a fast-tracked analysis of answers to a questionnaire.