Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opposed Germany's proposal to grant Kyiv a special status in the European Union without voting rights. According to him, Ukraine deserves full membership, not limited participation in the bloc's activities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to the leadership of the European Union, criticizing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's proposal to grant Ukraine the status of an associated member of the EU without voting rights.
As previously reported by AFP, Merz suggested a model in which Ukraine could participate in EU summits, have its representative in the European Commission, and members in the European Parliament, but without the ability to vote.
The proposal also included extending the EU's mutual assistance provisions to Ukraine and partial access to the bloc's budget.
In response, Zelensky stated that such an option would be unfair to Ukraine.
"It would be unfair if Ukraine were in the European Union but did not have voting rights," the Ukrainian president emphasized in a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and the EU presidency held by Cyprus.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine is counting on full membership, not an intermediate format of participation in European structures.
"We are defending Europe — fully, not partially and not with half-measures," he stated, reminding of Ukraine's role in countering Russian aggression.
For Kyiv, the issue is particularly sensitive, as Ukrainian authorities fear that temporary or limited integration models could effectively freeze the accession process indefinitely.
At the same time, Germany officially continues to support Ukraine's future full integration into the EU. According to AFP, Merz also advocates for accelerating accession negotiations and opening all negotiation chapters.
The idea of associated participation emerged amid complex discussions within the EU about the pace of the union's expansion and the potential consequences of Ukraine's rapid accession.
For the European Union, this is one of the most sensitive political issues in recent years: EU countries are simultaneously trying to support Kyiv while considering internal disagreements regarding the future expansion of the bloc.
Currently, negotiations for Ukraine's accession are ongoing, but the timeline for the country's possible joining of the EU remains uncertain.
