Explainer-What Ukraine needs to do to keep its EU membership bid alive

The European Union's 27 leaders could decide at a summit this week whether to launch formal membership talks with Ukraine, a step that would provide a much-needed boost for Kyiv amid uncertainty over the future of vital wartime foreign assistance. Brussels offered Kyiv candidate status four months after Moscow's February 2022 invasion, prompting a rush by Ukrainian authorities to reform priority areas identified by the European Commission. In its Nov. 8 assessment, the European Commission praised Ukraine's progress and recommended that EU leaders launch negotiations, but singled out several immediate tasks to complete.