German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the timelines proposed by Ukraine for EU membership are unrealistic amid ongoing debates about expansion. "Zelensky had the idea of joining the EU on January 1, 2027. That won't happen. Even January 1, 2028, is unrealistic."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that Ukraine's path to membership in the European Union may involve territorial concessions and that both issues could ultimately be resolved in parallel referendums.
About 20% of Ukrainian territory is currently under Russian occupation.
"At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement. At some point, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia will be signed. Then it may happen that part of Ukraine's territory will cease to be Ukrainian," Merz said while speaking to students in North Rhine-Westphalia, Reuters reports.
It is clear that the German Chancellor's words about Kyiv potentially losing control over some territories after the war have sparked criticism in Ukraine and in other European countries. In Berlin, it was stated that Merz did not comment on the status of the territories from the perspective of international law, according to Deutsche Welle.
