German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed accelerating Ukraine's path toward the European Union by introducing an "associate membership" status before full accession.
That is according to Euractiv, Ukrinform reports.
"We do not have time for further delays. [...] It is now time to boldly move on with Ukraine's EU integration through innovative solutions as immediate steps forward," Merz wrote in a letter on Wednesday to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
Under the German proposal, the war-torn country should join first as an "associate member" giving it the right to participate in councils of EU leaders and ministers without the right to vote.
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