Breaking news. EU greenlights accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova after Viktor Orbán lifts veto and abstains

During a high-stakes summit in Brussels, heads of state and government also granted Georgia the status of candidate country. 

Additionally, the bloc will open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina "once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is reached." The Balkan country's progress will be assessed in progress set to be unveiled in March.

"It's a very powerful political signal, it's a very powerful political decision," Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, told reporters after the blessing became official.

"And today and tonight I think, to the people of Ukraine, we are on their side and this decision made by member states is extremely important for the credibility of the European Union."

"It was important that no member state would oppose the decision and this is why we were in a position to make this announcement tonight," Michel added.

The approval represents a momentous victory for Kyiv, which is struggling to make inroads in its grueling counteroffensive against the invading Russian troops. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted Ukraine's application to join the bloc in the early days of the war and has since then made the case to fast-track the process.

Thursday's breakthrough was all the more surprising as it came amid Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's veto threats and antagonistic rhetoric.

In the days leading up to the meeting, Orbán had questioned Ukraine's readiness to start negotiations and the European Commission's credibility as an impartial arbiter. After being declared a candidate country in June last year, Ukraine was given seven reforms to fulfill as a precondition to start the talks. Brussels has said the country has fully completed four out of the seven