* European Parliament votes overwhelmingly in favour of Ukraine accession
* Moldova and Georgia bids also backed in stinging rebuke to Vladimir Putin
* But any accession process to the EU is likely to take years if not decades
* Ukrainian President Zelensky said he had been calling EU leaders to make case
The European Parliament has approved Ukraine's bid to join the EU in a vote backed by an overwhelming majority of MEPs.
Leaders of the member states will gather in Brussels later today to discuss calls to formally grant Ukraine 'candidate status' to join the bloc, as Russian forces slowly advance in the eastern Donbas region.
But some member states have been lukewarm about letting Ukraine join the EU, and any accession process is likely to take years if not decades.
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EU Leaders Grant Ukraine And Moldova Candidate Status For EU Membership
European Union makes Ukraine a candidate for EU membership -- AP
EU leaders grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate status -- DW
European leaders formally accept Ukraine as a candidate to join the EU -- CNBC
Ukraine’s EU hopes get shot in the arm as bloc’s leaders approve candidate status -- CNN
European Union grants candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova -- Axios