Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says proposal of associate EU membership ‘unfair’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a letter to EU leaders that a German proposal to grant Ukraine “associate” ​membership of the European Union was “unfair” because it would leave Kyiv without a voice inside the bloc.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested earlier this week allowing Ukraine to participate ‌in EU meetings and institutions without a vote as an interim step toward full membership of the bloc, which he said could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war triggered by Russia’s military attack.

In response, Zelenskiy said in a letter sent late on Friday, reviewed by Reuters, that Ukraine was pressing ahead quickly with the reforms needed for full EU membership while also acting as a bulwark against Russian aggression for the whole of the 27-nation bloc.

“We are defending ​Europe – fully, not partially, and not with half-measures,” said the 48-year-old leader, accusing Russia of trying to destroy European unity and destabilize parts of the continent. “It would be unfair for ​Ukraine to be present in the European Union, but remain voiceless.”

The letter was addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der ⁠Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who holds the rotating chair of the EU Council.

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المصدر: Egyptian Gazette