Refugees from Ukraine arrive in Germany

The European Commission has recommended candidate status for Ukraine. Just over three months after being invaded by Russia, Kyiv has cleared the first hurdle on the road to membership.

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief has called for Russia to end its blockade of Ukrainian ports. His comments come ahead of a meeting of the bloc's 27 foreign ministers.

In a speech ahead of key summits, the German chancellor has told parliament that "we will defend every square meter of NATO territory." He also described a partnership with Russia under Vladimir Putin as "unimaginable."

The NGO Doctors without Borders is calling for humanitarian corridors to be created for asylum seekers stuck in Libya, who often face torture and abuse in Libyan detention centres. Now safely in Niger, two former detainees spoke to our correspondents about their harrowing ordeal. They were able to leave Libya thanks to the Emergency Transfer Mechanism, a programme set up by the UNHCR to evacuate migrants to Niger. Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from Libya through this mechanism since 2018.

Without Russian natural gas, Germany will be facing an energy crisis. Coal, nuclear, fracking or renewable energy — what are the most realistic and climate-friendly options?

EU leaders are in Brussels to discuss the membership bids of Ukraine and Moldova. Meanwhile, the European Parliament has voted heavily in favor of the two countries' getting candidate status.

Germany has taken a step towards rationing natural gas by activating the second of three stages in an emergency plan. Officials say that since Russia reduced supplies, gas is now a "scarce commodity". Also in the show: the UK is hit by a second day of rail strikes over job security, pay and the rising cost of living, and high inflation in France prompts a boom in demand for camping holidays.

German energy official Klaus Müller has said the country's gas situation is stable but predicted higher prices for consumers. He also said that Germany can last another 2 1/2 months without Russian gas.

The government is following through on its pledge to decriminalize abortion. Officials plan to abolish a law that subjects doctors who publish information on abortion procedures to prosecution.

June is Pride Month, a celebration of the world's LGBTQ populations which also serves to continue the fight for equality and justice for the community. Activist Anna Sharyhina joined us on Perspective for a conversation about LGBTQ rights in Ukraine before and since the Russian invasion. Originally from Kharkiv, she co-founded the Ukrainian NGO "Sphere", which works to provide a safe space for the country's queer community and organised Kharkiv's first Pride parade in 2019.

Two localities in the German state of Brandenburg had to be evacuated as a large forest fire rages on the border with neighboring Saxony. Efforts to dampen the flames werre hampered because of old munitions in the area.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a "Marshall Plan" to rebuild war-scarred Ukraine. What does he mean by that?