Ukraine, Briefly

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• Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia were unanimously accepted as EU candidates by the European Parliament on Thursday, the Independent wrote. The vote comes about four months after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Although it demonstrates popular support for the nations’ applications to join the EU waiting list, the final decision lies with European leaders and could take years.

• German officials ordered families to cut back on their use of energy and issued a warning that industrial output will also take a hit as a result of Russia’s dramatic drop in gas supplies, Politico reported. Meanwhile, Russian gas supply cuts to Europe are being justified by technical faults with turbines rather than political motives, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who added that there is “no hidden agenda,” CNN added.

• More than eight million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations, according to ABC News. The UN reported estimates that about half have taken refuge in Poland. Hungary, the second most popular choice, reported slightly more than 800,000 crossings.