Germany proposes to grant Ukraine "affiliate" membership in the European Union
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine the status of an "associate member" of the European Union, allowing Kyiv to participate in the work of the bloc's institutions without the right to vote.
The proposal came in a letter addressed by Mertz to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, according to the German news agency dpa.
Meretz justified the move by citing the "special status" resulting from the war in eastern Ukraine and the "significant progress" in the integration negotiations, saying that this situation would be a "strong political signal" for the Ukrainians and could help in the peace negotiations brokered by the United States.
According to the proposal, representatives of Ukraine would be allowed to participate in meetings of the Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament and the Court of the European Union, without the right to vote, provided that this situation would be a step in support of the full accession process and not a substitute for it.
The German chancellor stressed that granting this status does not require the approval of the parliaments of member states, unlike the formal accession process.
Meretz rejects Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU
On Thursday, April 24, after a summit of the European Council in Cyprus, he announced his opposition to Ukraine's immediate accession to the European Union, saying: "Everyone is aware that Ukraine's immediate accession to the European Union is not possible," and the German channel "Phoenix" quoted the chancellor's remarks as saying instead of a "convergence strategy" aimed at obtaining full membership, but through "intermediate steps."
Meretz revealed proposals he discussed with Volodymyr Zelensky, represented in the gradual integration of Ukraine into EU institutions, including allowing Kyiv to participate in meetings of the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission "without the right to vote," as well as involving it in specific policy areas based on the pace of reform achievement.
Meretz's comments came in response to calls for European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to "immediately start" membership negotiations with Ukraine, while discussing a new loan to Kyiv and a package of sanctions against Russia.
Meretz confirmed on Sunday that Ukraine may have to make territorial concessions to conclude a peace deal with Russia and open the way to join the European Union, considering that "part of Ukrainian territory may stop being Ukraine" after a possible peace deal, and that Kyiv is likely to need a popular referendum on any agreement that includes concessions.
Zelensky hears the 'bitter truth'
The Financial Times reported that European leaders tried during the EU summit in Cyprus to lower the ceiling of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's expectations for a quick accession to the bloc.
The newspaper quoted a source familiar with the matter as saying that Zelensky "had to hear some harsh truths," most notably that accession is not as soon as he had hoped.
European diplomats stressed that the EU's expansion must remain based on "merit", noting that Ukrainian reforms have slowed, especially in the files of the rule of law and anti-corruption, not to mention that Kyiv is facing pressure to increase taxes on companies in exchange for a portion of the 90 billion euros in European funding.
According to the source, "internal reforms have faltered, and everyone knows that," while Brussels asserts that the European Union has become Ukraine's most important partner after the decline of US support.