Ukraine may have to accept territorial losses, Germany's Merz says

Editor's note: The story has been updated with additional details.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 27 that Ukraine might lose territory to secure a peace deal with Russia, but hinted that doing so could help open the door to EU membership.

"Hopefully, there will eventually be a peace treaty with Russia. Then, possibly, part of Ukraine's territory will no longer be Ukrainian," Merz said during a discussion with students in the German town of Marsberg.

The chancellor said President Volodymyr Zelensky would need a referendum majority for such a step. To secure that majority, Merz added, Zelensky would have to tell the Ukrainian people: "But I have opened the way to Europe for you."

Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory and demands that Kyiv cede additional land in Donetsk Oblast to conclude a ceasefire deal.

Ukraine has rejected relinquishing territories still under Kyiv's control and urged a ceasefire along the front lines. Zelensky previously suggested that territorial concessions should be decided through a referendum.

Zelensky said later on April 27 that Kyiv's foreign partners should not forget that Ukraine does not fight only for itself.

"Russia wants our territory so that it can seize the territories of others as well," Zelensky said in a video address shared on his Telegram channel.

"If it succeeds with one state, with one neighbor, then it will do the same with others."

Commenting on Ukraine's EU accession efforts, Merz said that the bloc must offer Kyiv a clear and credible roadmap.

"Ukraine must have a European perspective. We must not lose Ukraine to Russia, but rather tell the people of Ukraine that they have a future in Europe," he said.

At the same time, he warned against overly high hopes for rapid accession and said Ukraine entering the bloc by January 2027 or 2028 is "unrealistic."

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.

Ukraine has urged the European bloc to set a concrete entry date while refusing any forms of partial membership.

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