Granting "associate membership" to Ukraine risks leaving the country in limbo that could make it lose momentum to complete the path to a full membership status, said Helen McEntee, Ireland's foreign minister.
The remarks come in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's unprecedented plan to create a tailor-made status for Ukraine, which McEntee considers might create a two-tiered approach to EU membership.
"We need to make sure that there isn't a two-tiered approach or we apply [the accession process] equally to each country," McEntree said on Friday during a briefing with journalists attended by Euronews.
Her remarks carry particular weight as Ireland is poised to take the reins of the EU Council's presidency in July and will therefore oversee negotiations on Kyiv's bid.
"Ukraine's in a very difficult situation, we've been really supportive of how we can progress Ukraine's accession," she continued, noting that, however, an associate member might lose momentum to progress toward full membership status.
