French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that Moldova’s bid to join the European Union was “perfectly legitimate”, speaking at a joint news conference with Moldova President Maia Sandu.

Moldova, located between Ukraine and EU member Romania, is one of three former Soviet states, along with Georgia and Ukraine itself, that submitted applications to join the EU within days of Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

It has pressed on with its application amid concerns that it could be drawn into the war, because of instability in its Transdniestria region, run by pro-Russian separatists and occupied by Russian peacekeeping troops on the Ukrainian border.