German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested making Ukraine an "associate member" of the European Union to bring it closer to the bloc before it completes the process of qualifying for full membership.
Ukraine is keen to join the bloc as a measure to bolster its security and prosperity as it fights against invading Russian forces, especially as the US has so far rejected the idea of its becoming a NATO member.Kyiv has pushed strongly to become a member of the EU amid the Russian invasionImage: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto/picture alliance
What has Merz proposed?
In a letter to EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa seen by news agencies on Thursday, the German leader proposed allowing Ukrainian officials to take part in EU summits and ministerial meetings but without voting rights."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.
"What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately," he wrote.
