German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed creating an “associate member” status for Ukraine within the European Union, offering closer integration with the bloc while full accession remains a long-term goal.
he proposal aims to bring Ukraine nearer to EU institutions amid ongoing war with Russia, while acknowledging that full membership is unlikely in the near future due to political and procedural obstacles, News.Az reports, citing Deutsche Welle.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, Merz suggested allowing Ukrainian representatives to participate in EU summits and ministerial meetings without voting rights.
He also proposed that Ukraine could be covered by the EU’s mutual assistance clause and become eligible for certain parts of the EU budget, while still requiring full accession negotiations for eventual membership.
Merz stressed that the initiative would not represent “membership light” and said Ukraine should ultimately become a full EU member, with safeguards including a possible mechanism to reverse the arrangement if rule-of-law standards are not met.
He described the idea as a political solution to bring Ukraine closer to EU structures during wartime, saying it could also support broader peace efforts and European security.
The proposal is expected to be discussed with EU leaders, though it may face skepticism from some member states and Ukraine itself, which could see interim arrangements as prolonging uncertainty over its accession path.
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