German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine an "associate membership" in the European Union without voting rights, aiming to bring the country closer to the bloc before it completes the lengthy full accession process.

In a letter to EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, Merz acknowledged that the accession process cannot be completed soon due to numerous hurdles and political complexities of ratification.

Under the proposal, Ukrainian officials would participate in EU summits and ministerial meetings but without voting rights. Ukraine would also be covered by the bloc's mutual assistance clause and eligible for funding from parts of the EU budget.

Merz insisted this is not "membership light" and reaffirmed his goal of full membership for Ukraine. However, the proposal includes a snap-back mechanism that would annul interim membership if Kyiv backslides on rule-of-law standards.

The proposal may face skepticism from EU partners and Ukraine itself, which fears being left in limbo. While 2027 has been floated as a possible accession date, EU officials do not expect full membership in the coming years.

Source: www.dw.com