German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on the 21st (local time) that the European Union (EU) should grant Ukraine "associate member" status. The move is aimed at facilitating peace talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Foreign media including AFP and Reuters reported that in a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, Merz said, "It is realistically impossible for Ukraine to become an EU member in the short term," and proposed, "We should grant a new status of associate member, reflecting Ukraine's special situation as a country at war."
If the EU accepts Merz's proposal, Ukraine would be able to attend EU summits and ministerial-level meetings. Ukraine could also place a representative on the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, and dispatch lawmakers to the European Parliament. However, none would have voting rights.
Merz said granting Ukraine associate member status would also help spur Russia to peace talks. That is because the EU's mutual assistance clause for tangible security guarantees would apply to Ukraine, and it would receive some EU budget benefits.
AFP reported that it is uncertain whether Merz's proposal will gain consensus among other EU member states. It also predicted that within Ukraine, the proposal could face skepticism that the "associate member" label might leave the country in an ambiguous neither-here-nor-there position.