EXCLUSIVE-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 has suggested allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings without a vote as an interim step to full membership of the bloc, ‌which he said could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war ‌triggered by Russia's invasion.

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 has suggested allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings without a vote as an interim step to full membership of the bloc, ‌which he said could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war ‌triggered by Russia's invasion. In response, Zelenskiy said in his letter, sent late on Friday and reviewed by Reuters, that the removal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a staunch opponent of ⁠Ukraine's ​EU membership - following elections ⁠last month created the opportunity for substantive progress on accession talks.

"It would be unfair for Ukraine ⁠to be present in the European Union, but remain voiceless," Zelenskiy said in his message. "The ​time is right to move forward with Ukraine's membership in a full ⁠and meaningful way." 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.

Zelenskiy thanked European leaders for their support during the ⁠war, and said that Ukraine was 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," he said. "Ukraine deserves a fair approach and ‌equal rights ‌within Europe."