Zelenskyy has spoken out against Ukraine’s ‘non-voting’ membership of the EU
This was reported by Reuters, citing a letter from the Ukrainian president to EU leaders.
Zelenskyy called the proposal unfair
In a letter addressed to European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine deserves full participation in European institutions. This was his response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s proposal to grant Kyiv interim status, which would allow it to participate in EU meetings without voting rights.
“It would be unfair if Ukraine were present in the European Union but remained voiceless,” the president’s letter states.
Kyiv calls for accelerated accession talks
Zelenskyy also noted that following the change of government in Hungary, an opportunity has arisen to more actively advance negotiations on Ukraine’s EU membership. According to the president, Ukraine is not only seeking to join the European Union but is, in fact, defending the security of the whole of Europe amid a full-scale war with Russia.
“We are defending Europe — fully, not partially and not with half-measures. Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights in Europe,” Zelenskyy emphasised.
As a reminder, Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in 2022, and membership negotiations officially began in 2024.
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