The European Parliament backed a resolution on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union.

According to UNIAN, the results of the vote for the corresponding resolution were announced by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. In particular, 637 EP deputies voted for, 13 MEPs voted against and 26 abstained.

The resolution is now transmitted to the EU's decision-making institutions and all member states.

The resolution “condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against and invasion of Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression.”

It calls on Russia “to terminate all military activities in Ukraine, unconditionally withdraw all military and paramilitary forces and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine, and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders.”

At the same time, the European Parliament in the resolution invited Russia and Ukraine to continue diplomatic efforts and also called on Russia to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.