Zelenskyy Rejects German Proposal for EU Associate Membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the German proposal to grant his country "associate member" status in the European Union, saying that this proposal is "unfair" because it would deprive Kiev of its basic right to express its positions within the European Union. The refusal came in an official letter sent by Zelensky last Friday evening to senior EU officials, Reuters reported. German Chancellor Friedrich Meretz has floated the idea of allowing Ukraine to participate in union meetings without the right to vote as a transitional step towards full membership. In his proposal, Meretz pointed out that this temporary formula may contribute to overcoming obstacles to reaching a peace agreement that ends the four-year war. However, Zelensky rejected this perception altogether, stressing that the time had come to move towards Ukraine's accession "in a complete and self-evident way." The removal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a fierce opponent of Ukraine's accession - from power following last month's elections opens the way for substantive progress in membership talks, the Ukrainian president said. In his letter, Zelensky addressed European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, who holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the Union. “We defend Europe in full, not in part, and Ukraine deserves fair treatment and equal rights within Europe,” he said.