FILE - President of Moldova Maia Sandu, right, speaks during a joint press conference with European Council President Charles Michel, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. The European Union agreed Friday, June 21, 2024, to start membership negotiations with embattled Ukraine and Moldova, another step in the nations' long journey to move closer to the West and mute Russia's influence. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)