Wetin Ukraine go gain as EU give dem candidate status?

EU don grant Ukraine and Moldova EU candidate status, President of di European Council Charles Michel don announce.

"Today mark one important step on your path towards di EU," Mr Michel tok, describing di European Council decision as "historic moment".

Ukraine apply days afta di Russian invasion for February, and di process happun very fast.

E President, Volodymyr Zelensky, hail Thursday decision.

"Na unique and historical moment fo UA[Ukraine]-EU relations..." e tweet.

"Ukraine future dey within di EU. "Di mayor of di Ukrainian capital Kyiv, former boxer Vitali Klitschko, pay emotional tribute to im fellow citizens wey dey resist di invasion.

"We pay a very high price for dis chance," e write ontop Telegram. "Yes, we go get a lot to do on di way to di European family.

"But I dey sure Ukraine go do everything necessary, fulfil all di conditions and pass di necessary laws.

Because otherwise our state no get future. Indeed, our best defenders dey die for am."

Candidate status na di first official step towards EU membership. But e fit take many years to join and no guarantee of success dey.

President Volodymyr Zelensky begin di application for EU membership five days afta Russia invade im kontri in February 2022.

E bin ask to be able to join immediately.

Financial benefits to joining di EU go dey for dem. But Ukraine main goal no be economic, Dr Zach Paikin, from di Centre of European Policy Studies think tank for Brussels argue.

"EU membership go establish Ukraine firmly as independent, sovereign European state," e tok. "Not just part of di Russian world."

How Russia go react?

Di Kremlin know say e fit happun and don already dey act as if no be big deal.

Last week for St Petersburg, President Vladimir Putin claim say e "no get anything against" Ukraine possible membership of di European Union:

"Na dia sovereign decision to join economic unions or not.

"E tok am, but shey e mean am? E dey hard to believe Russia president go sit back and watch di kontri wey e invade join di European Union.

President Putin once describe Russians and Ukrainians as "one people, a single whole" and see Ukraine as a territory wey, historically, belong to Russia.

Di Russian invasion na sometin wey dey widely seen as im attempt to force Ukraine back into Moscow scope and e no dey show any sign of ending di attack.

EU candidate status for Ukraine send a strong message to Moscow: say neither Kyiv or Brussels accept di Putin vision of a new European order.

Wetin be di benefit for Ukraine?

Di European Union na economic and political union between 27 European kontries, wey dey created afta di Second World War.

Goods, services and money dey move freely between member states.

EU citizens fit live and work anywia witin di bloc.

E dey operate a single European currency, di euro, wey more dan 340 million pipo in 19 of di EU' 27 kontries dey use.

Common standards apply across member states for some number of areas including food safety, farming and employment rights.

EU dey also give grants to Europe poorer regions to help strengthen dia economies.

How kontries dey join di EU

Firstly, di European Commission, EU civil service, go assess weda a kontri na suitable candidate.

E dey consider weda e dey stable, get democratic goment, respect human rights, and get a free market economy.

All existing EU members get to agree before a new kontri fit become a candidate.

If successful, di kontri go need to adopt all di EU laws and regulations.

Dis wan dey normally take several years.

Finally, di kontri go sign wetin dey known as accession treaty wey all di oda EU kontries go need to approve.

How long e dey take to join EU?

For recent joiners Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, di entire process take between 10 and 12 years.

Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia be official candidates for years, but dia applications don jam roadbloack.

Turkey become candidate in 1999. However, dia own accession toks stop over concerns about di kontri human rights record.

Ukraine neighbour, Moldova, dey accepted as a candidate on di same day as Ukraine.

Although Georgia also apply, dem tell dem say dem must make more reforms.