EU Initiates Membership Talks with Ukraine and Moldova, Despite Disappointing Support from European Allies and the U.S.

European leaders have unanimously agreed to open EU membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, while granting candidate status to Georgia. The decision, hailed as a victory by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, comes after almost 22 months of Russia's war and a struggle to secure Western military and financial aid. Hungary, although opposing talks with Kyiv, did not veto the move. Talks on joining the EU can take years, and the decision does not guarantee membership for Ukraine.