European Parliament Votes In Favor Of Ukraine Joining EU

On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted in favor of making Ukraine a member of the European Union.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy filed an application to join the European Union on an expedited basis on Monday due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been going on for six days as of Tuesday. Joining the European Union would allow Ukrainians to move freely between the other 27 member nations, which could help the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

637 European Parliament members voted yes for Ukraine to join the union, 13 voted no and 26 abstained.

NEW via @NanaSajaia: The European Parliament accepted Ukraine’s application to join the EU, calling on EU institutions to work towards granting Ukraine status of an EU candidate, thus recognizing Ukraine's European perspective.
676 voted
637 affirmative
13 against
26 abstained

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) March 1, 2022

On Monday, the Russian military launched missile strikes into civilian areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

“Russian forces unleashed a barrage of multiple-launch rocket fire against residential neighborhoods in Kharkiv, killing at least 10 civilians, including three children and their parents who were incinerated in a car struck by a Russian projectile, and injuring at least 40, according to Kharkiv officials,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Some 87 Kharkiv apartment buildings have been damaged, and several parts of Kharkiv no longer have water, electricity or heating, Mayor Ihor Terekhov told Ukrainian TV channels. Kharkiv, which served as the capital of Ukraine in the 1920s and 1930s, is home to some 1.4 million people.”

During a speech in front of the European Parliament, Zelenskyy said, “This is the price of freedom. We are fighting just for our land. And for our freedom, despite the fact that all of the cities of our country are now blocked.”

“Every square today, no matter what it’s called, is going to be called Freedom Square, in every city of our country. No one is going to break us. We are strong. We are Ukrainians,” he continued. “We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it’s a fair one.”

“We are fighting for our rights, for our freedoms, for life, for our life, and now we are fighting for survival. And this is the highest of our motivation. But we are fighting also to be equal members of Europe,” Zelenskyy added. “The European Union is going to be much stronger with us, that’s for sure. … Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”