The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, rejected on Saturday Germany’s proposal to grant Ukraine the status of associate member in the EU, as this would leave Kiev without a voice within the community bloc. “There can be no complete European project without Ukraine, and Ukraine’s place in the European Union must also be complete, full, and equal,” Zelenski wrote on X, according to Politico.
“It is important to open the groups in the negotiation fields. It is important to make significant progress in negotiations. It is important to work one hundred percent for security and for our people”, emphasized Zelenski.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that Ukraine be granted the status of “associate member” in the EU, which would come with benefits such as participation in the meetings of the European Commission and the European Council.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, seemed on Thursday to support the incremental approach promoted by Merz, arguing that candidate countries for the EU could be granted access to the “single market, customs union, roaming zone, Erasmus and Horizon programs” as steps towards full membership in the bloc.
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