Russia: EU candidate status for Ukraine, Moldova will have negative consequences

The Russian foreign ministry said on Friday that the decision by European Union leaders to accept Ukraine and Moldova as membership candidates would have negative consequences.

"With the decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidate countries, the European Union has confirmed that it continues to actively exploit the CIS on a geopolitical level, to use it to 'contain' Russia," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

"They are not thinking of the negative consequences of such a step..."