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 conflict with Russia.
In response, Zelenskiy said in a letter sent late on Friday that Ukraine was pressing ahead quickly with the reforms needed for full EU membership.
Many European officials say it is unrealistic for Ukraine to achieve full membership in the bloc in the next few years, even though a date of 2027 was pencilled into a 20-point peace plan discussed among the United States, Ukraine and Russia. EU accession requires ratification by each of the bloc’s 27 members, a process that could lead to significant obstacles.
Merz's proposal was billed as an attempt to find a middle way between a quick accession and Ukraine's current status as a candidate country at the start of the process. Ukraine hopes to open negotiations on six areas for European Union accession - known as 'clusters' - within two months.
