Rapid EU accession for Ukraine is impossible, but formats without voting rights exist – Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes there are currently no prospects for Ukraine’s "immediate accession" to the European Union, but suggested involving Kyiv in the work of EU institutions without voting rights.
He said this after the EU summit in Cyprus, Der Tagesspiegel reports, Censor.NET informs.
Merz’s position
"Everyone understands that Ukraine’s immediate accession to the European Union is, of course, impossible, but it is necessary to ensure closer integration of Ukraine into European institutions," he said.
- According to him, Ukraine could take part in meetings of the European Council, the European Parliament, and the European Commission as an interim step toward full membership.
A bridge to full membership
"I have spoken about this several times in recent days with President Zelenskyy. It is important that this preparatory step now also accelerates these accession talks, as a bridge to further full membership. I have received significant support for my proposals from colleagues in the European Council," Merz said.
The European Union generally supports Ukraine’s accession, but is not ready for the fast-tracked accession of the country to the bloc.
