President of the European Council Charles Michel (L), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (C), and Moldovan President Maia Sandu at a press conference in Kiev on November 23, 2023. (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said that the move was “a clear signal of hope for their people and for our continent.”

He said, “The European Council has decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. We granted candidate status to Georgia. And the EU will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached and has invited the commission to report by March with a view to taking such a decision.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the move “a strategic decision” while French President Emmanuel Macron called it "a reasonable, fair, and necessary response".

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it is a strong sign of support for Ukraine."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the news as “a victory for Ukraine”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X that Hungary abstained from the decision after seeing that 26 other countries "insisted" on it.