EU Bloc Meets in Kyiv

Foreign ministers or their representatives from all 27 member countries of the European Union visited Ukraine's capital of Kyiv yesterday for an unannounced meeting, marking the first time the full bloc has met outside of the EU's borders and in a war zone. The meeting between the EU and Ukrainian diplomats, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was seen as largely symbolic as a show of support to Ukraine in its 19-month-long war against Russia. Ukraine has been seeking membership into the EU since at least 2005; the EU formally designated the war-torn nation as a candidate for membership last summer. The EU is next expected to decide in December whether to open negotiations between the bloc and Ukraine. The process for a country to join the bloc can take years, which includes the candidate country needing to fulfill a set of requirements, such as aligning its laws with EU regulations. See an overview of the process here. See updates on the war here.