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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an “associate member” of the European Union without voting rights while Kyiv goes through the lengthy process of full accession, according to a letter reportedly seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The plan, first raised by Merz with EU counterparts last month, would allow Ukraine’s leader to attend EU summits but not vote.
Under the proposal, Kyiv would also have a representative at the European Commission and non-voting members in the European Parliament.
Merz outlined the proposal in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
“It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process soon, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes,” Merz wrote.
“What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately,” he said.
Under the plan, the EU’s mutual assistance clause would apply to Ukraine, and Kyiv could benefit from parts of the bloc’s budget.
Merz said he still wants Ukraine to become a “full member” of the EU and urged the immediate launch of “all negotiation clusters.”
“It would not be a membership light,” he wrote.
Ukraine is seeking to accelerate its bid to join the 27-member EU as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion.
Kyiv sees EU membership as vital for its future recovery and security, while the U.S. has effectively closed the door on Ukraine's prospect of joining NATO.
Ukraine’s progress had been blocked by Hungary’s nationalist former premier Viktor Orban. However, Orban’s ouster by rival Peter Magyar has raised hopes that Kyiv could now move forward.
Merz’s proposal could face skepticism from both Germany’s EU partners and Ukraine.
Kyiv is eager to maintain momentum toward joining the bloc and fears that interim solutions could leave it stuck in a halfway position.
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