“I understand very well that, when you fight courageously like Ukraine does, you would want much more. But we are not a side to this conflict,” French President Emmanuel Macron told a press conference.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was “right” to hand the request of Ukraine, as well as that of Moldova and Georgia, for prospective membership to the bloc’s executive European Commission for a detailed legal analysis.

Allies of Ukraine in eastern Europe were disappointed.

“I wish Ukraine would get the candidate status now … it was not possible today, but we will come back to this issue,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the EU might offer another 500 million euros ($550 million) to Ukraine to buy arms.

The European Union is ready to impose even harsher economic sanctions on Russia and might give Ukraine more funds for arms to fight Moscow’s invasion, leaders decided in two days of talks in France, but drew a line on allowing Kyiv rapid access to the bloc.

“Nothing is off the table, nothing is taboo, we’ll do whatever we deem necessary to stop Russia,” Macron said after talks in the Versailles palace near Paris.

Scholz confirmed: “We agreed to continue to push forward on those sanctions that have an immediate effect on Russia’s chances for economic development.”