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<\/p>\nGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine “associate member” status in the EU without voting rights while Kyiv pursues full membership, according to a letter seen by AFP on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The plan, first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month, would see Ukraine’s leader attend the bloc’s summit but not be able to cast a vote.<\/p>\n
Kyiv would have a representative at the top table of the EU’s executive, the European Commission, and non-voting members of the European Parliament.<\/p>\n
Under the proposal, outlined by Merz in a letter to EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the bloc’s mutual assistance clause would apply to Ukraine and it could benefit from parts of the EU’s budget.<\/p>\n
“It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process shortly, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes,” Merz wrote.<\/p>\n
“What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately.”<\/p>\n
Ukraine is pushing to speed up its bid to join the 27-nation European Union as it fights Russia’s invasion on the battlefield.<\/p>\n
Kyiv’s progress was blocked by Hungary’s former premier Viktor Orban, but his election defeat by Peter Magyar has raised hopes Kyiv could now move forward.<\/p>\n
Merz’s plan could face skepticism from both Germany’s EU counterparts and from Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Kyiv is desperate to maintain momentum toward joining the bloc and fears that any suggested interim solutions will see it stranded in a halfway house.<\/p>\n
The German leader insisted he still wants Ukraine to eventually become a “full member” and urged launching “all negotiation clusters” immediately.<\/p>\n
“It would not be a membership light,” he wrote.<\/p>\n
Ukraine sees membership of the EU as vital to its future recovery and security, as the United States has essentially closed the door on it joining NATO.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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