Brussels (AFP) – Europe sent a powerful symbol of solidarity with Ukraine on Friday as Brussels backed Kyiv’s bid for EU candidate status, a decision Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had “nothing against”. With the European Commission’s backing, Ukraine could join the list of countries vying for membership as early as next week, when member state leaders meet at their Brussels summit. All 27 leaders have to agree to the candidacy, but the heads of the bloc’s biggest members — France, Germany and Italy — gave full-throated support to the idea on Thursday, on a trip to a war-torn Kyiv…