Ukraine may join EU before becoming NATO member – Merz
Ukraine may become a member of the European Union before joining NATO.
According to Censor.NET, citing Interfax-Ukraine, this opinion was expressed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at NATO Headquarters in Brussels during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
When asked whether Germany supports Ukraine’s accession to NATO despite the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump is "apparently trying to push Ukraine to abandon this prospect," Merz said he shares the Secretary General’s assessment that all NATO allies have agreed on Ukraine’s irreversible path to membership. However, he emphasized that NATO membership has never been part of any future peace agreement under discussion.
"I would like to add that Ukraine has a clear prospect of joining the European Union. In terms of timing, I believe this will happen before its accession to NATO—if that ever happens. And it must be clearly stated that Ukraine has the sovereign right to choose its own path. Ukraine has been invited to apply for EU membership. You are all aware of the criteria for accession, and if Ukraine meets these criteria, it will be a welcome member of the European Union," Merz added.
He also emphasized that Ukraine "is and must remain a sovereign actor, capable of independently determining its political and military alliances."
At the same time, Merz avoided answering whether Germany is ready to send its troops to Ukraine as part of the "Coalition of the Willing."
"As for the question of how security guarantees can be ensured, we do not need to answer that today. The next step that must be taken now is a 30-day ceasefire, starting this weekend. After that, peace negotiations must follow. We need a peace agreement, and depending on the terms of such an agreement, the next questions will arise—namely, security guarantees for Ukraine. This issue is not currently on the agenda, so there is no need to respond to it today," he noted.
