Merz rules out 'immediate' EU membership for Ukraine, proposes Kyiv attend meetings
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on April 24 proposed a strategy to accelerate Ukraine's accession to the EU, while stressing that "immediate" membership is not possible.
The German chancellor suggested a process to bring Kyiv and the EU closer together with the ultimate goal of full membership, for instance by allowing participation in the European Councils without voting rights.
Ukraine has urged the European bloc to set a concrete entry date while refusing any forms of partial membership.
"It is clear to everyone that an immediate accession of Ukraine to the EU is, of course, not possible," Merz told journalists after the EU summit in Cyprus, attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine has held candidate status since 2022, but Hungary has blocked the opening of all six negotiation clusters, despite the European Commission's praise for the pace of Kyiv's reforms.
The accession discussions gained momentum again after the electoral defeat of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban on April 12.
The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, said she expects the opening of the first cluster only after the new Hungarian government takes office, but possibly already during the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council.
Peter Magyar's Tisza party is expected to form the next Hungarian government by mid-May, with Cyprus's rotating presidency set to end on June 30.
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