EXPLAINER: Why Ukraine’s request to join is big test for EU

BRUSSELS — Ukraine’s request to join the European Union may advance Friday with a recommendation from the EU’s executive arm that the war-torn country deserves to become a candidate for membership in the 27-nation bloc.

The European Commission’s endorsement, while only a tentative step on a path that could take decades to complete, would send a strong symbol of solidarity with Ukraine and further test the EU’s united front against Russia amid the invasion of its neighbor.

Here is a look at what the commission’s announcement on making Ukraine an EU candidate could mean for the region:

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE

Ukraine applied for EU accession less than a week after Russia invaded the country and as the capital, Kyiv, faced the threat of capture and the Ukrainian government falling.

The urgency created by the war and Ukraine’s request for expedited consideration could upend the bloc’s go-slow approach to enlargement.

On Thursday, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited Ukraine and vowed to back Kyiv’s bid to become an official candidate. Italian Premier Mario Draghi called EU candidacy for Ukraine “a very profound step” and noted that Ukraine would leapfrog Balkan nations, if the status is granted. But Draghi said the situation in Ukraine is “extraordinary.”

Giving Ukraine candidate status would challenge the EU’s normal playbook for adding members. The leaders of EU member nations are expected to consider the European Commission’s recommendation next week.

The leaders face a delicate balancing act: signaling to Ukraine that the EU’s door is ajar while reassuring other aspiring members and some of the bloc’s own citizens that they aren’t showing favoritism to Kyiv.

TO EXPAND OR NOT EXPAND?

The European Union was born in the 1950s to prevent another war between Germany and France. The six founding members were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Since then, the EU has steadily expanded while espousing the idea that economic and political integration among nations is the best way to promote general prosperity and peace. This approach paved the way for the creation of the euro currency in 1999 and for the addition in 2004 of 10 new member countries, most from formerly communist Eastern Europe.

The euro, which 11 countries initially adopted as their official currency, highlighted the EU’s capacity to deepen economic and political integration among EU nations. The “big…