On June 23, the heads of state and government of the European Union approved the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. The European Council will take further steps after the candidate countries fulfill the conditions formulated by the European Commission.
"Part of the geopolitical gambit against Russia is granting Ukraine and Moldova (which, apparently, also has an unenviable fate) the status of a country - an eternal candidate for the EU," Lavrov said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.
He added that there will be no financial or economic benefits within the "European Political Community" proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, but the European Union will invite all countries, "from Iceland to Ukraine" to join it, except Russia, and will demand solidarity with the EU’s anti-Russia course of action.