Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Zelensky welcomes European Commission's decision on Ukraine's EU candidacy

A resident buys daily necessities at a temporary stand in Gostomel, Ukraine, June 8, 2022. (Photo by Roman Petushkov/Xinhua)

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday welcomed the positive assessment of the European Commission on granting Ukraine European Union (EU) candidate status.

"I commend the positive European Commission Conclusion on Ukraine's candidate status. It's the first step on the EU membership path that'll certainly bring our victory closer," Zelensky tweeted.

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Zelensky met with visiting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday to discuss defense and security issues, the presidential press service said.

In particular, Zelensky and Johnson discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline in the east and the south of Ukraine as well as the supplies of weapons.

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Firemen work on the debris of a destroyed building in Donetsk, May 27, 2022. (Photo by Diego Herrera/Xinhua)

The African Union (AU) said its Specialized Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure and Energy (STC-TTIIE) has approved urgent measures to tackle the impacts of the Ukraine crisis on the African continent.

The AU Specialized Technical Committee, in its second extraordinary session from June 14 to 16, has made "crucial decisions" regarding the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the AU said in a statement issued late Thursday.

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The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is casting a shadow over Finland's economic outlook, the country's ministry of finance has said. The possibility that Finland will enter a recession, where the country's gross domestic product (GDP) declines for two consecutive quarters, will increase, the ministry added.

Accelerating inflation is slowing economic growth, according to an Economic Survey published by the Ministry on Friday. Finland's GDP will grow by 1.4 percent this year, the survey shows, while in 2023 growth will be 1.1 percent, and in 2024, 1.3 percent.