Merz stated that a country at war cannot become a full member of the EU
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz explained that his initiative to introduce “associate membership” status for Ukraine in the European Union is based on the historical precedent of the integration of the territories of the former GDR after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990.
At that time, the East German states joined the community without immediate representation or voting rights in the bloc’s institutions, receiving only observer status in the European Parliament, where 18 representatives served.
The politician is convinced that this format of cooperation can be fully implemented without making complex changes to the EU’s founding treaties, and that any other options for rapid accession are currently illusory.
The German chancellor emphasized that Ukraine’s full-fledged accession to the European Union is impossible as long as the war unleashed by Russia continues, so the country’s path to full integration will be a long one. At the same time, associate member status would allow Kyiv access to all negotiation clusters and ensure the physical presence of Ukrainian Members of the European Parliament and the European Commissioner at meetings, though without the ability to influence final decisions. Previously, Berlin’s proposal had elicited a mixed reaction in Kyiv, where the country’s leadership emphasized its commitment exclusively to Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union.
Radio Free Europe reported this, citing the German chancellor’s closing press conference following the EU leaders’ summit.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine expects to open five more negotiation clusters in the process of joining the European Union in the coming weeks.
Ukraine’s plan to open all negotiation clusters in the EU accession process by July 2026 may be derailed due to a lack of time to coordinate positions and carry out the necessary procedures.
On June 15, Ukraine and the European Union officially began accession negotiations by opening the first cluster, “Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process.” This marked the initial stage of the full negotiation process regarding the country’s future membership in the European Union.
