Zelenskyy rejects “associate” EU membership proposal as “unfair”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a German proposal to grant Ukraine “associate” membership in the European Union, warning that such a status would leave Kyiv without a meaningful voice inside the bloc.

In a letter sent late on Friday to European leaders and reviewed by Reuters, Zelenskyy described the proposal as “unfair,” responding to a suggestion by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz had proposed allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings without voting rights as an interim step toward full membership, arguing that such a measure could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war triggered by Russia’s invasion.

Zelenskyy pushed back against the idea, stressing that Ukraine’s presence in the European Union without decision-making power would be unacceptable. “It would be unfair for Ukraine to be present in the ‌European ⁠Union, but remain voiceless,” Zelenskiy said in his message. “The time is right to move forward with Ukraine's membership in a full and meaningful way.”

In his letter, Zelenskyy also pointed to recent political developments within the EU, noting that the removal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban—a staunch opponent of Ukraine’s EU accession—following elections last month had created an opportunity to make substantive progress on accession talks.

The letter was addressed to Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen, and Nikos Christodoulides, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for their continued support during the war and emphasised Ukraine’s role in defending the broader European community. “We are defending Europe – fully, not partially, and not with half-measures,” he said. “Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights within Europe.”

By Tamilla Hasanova