prime minister Sanna Marin (SDP) said that granting Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status was a historic decision that would take it on the path to membership of the Union.
"It is a message of hope for these regions and shows that they belong to the European family. In the future, they will be part of the European Union," he said, though, adding that there was still "a lot of work to do."
Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after the Russian invasion.
"Without the war in Ukraine, we probably would not have had these discussions this spring," Marin said.
The prime minister did not want to speculate on when Ukraine could get full membership. "It is impossible to predict. It depends on the country itself and how quickly it implements the reforms required for membership."
The EU has imposed conditions on Kiev, such as improving the rule of law, fighting corruption and money laundering.
Source: The Nordic Page