STORY
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticised a German proposal to give Ukraine an associate form of European Union membership, saying the arrangement would leave the country without a proper voice inside the bloc. The proposal from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz would allow Ukraine to take part in some EU meetings and institutions without voting rights as an interim step towards full membership.
Zelensky said Ukraine wanted full and meaningful accession rather than a limited status. He argued that Ukraine was defending Europe against Russian aggression and said it would be unfair for the country to be present in the European Union while remaining voiceless. His comments were made in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU.
EU diplomats have responded cautiously to the German idea, with some noting that associate membership does not currently exist in EU treaties and could require legal changes. Ukraine hopes to open negotiations on several accession clusters within the next two months, but full membership would still require the approval of all 27 member states.