Ukrainian President ZELENSKIY rejected a proposal to grant Ukraine a "partial
member" status in the European Union, saying that, given the Ukrainian armed
forces are defending the entire EU against Russian attacks, Ukraine should be
granted full member-state status. In a letter to senior EU officials, ZELENSKIY
said Kyiv's objective of becoming a full EU member remains unchanged and warned
against so-called "half measures." "We have never regarded member-state status
as joining some kind of 'half-union,'" he wrote. The statement appears to be
Kyiv's clearest rebuke to date of German Chancellor MERZ's proposal. Last month
MERZ proposed allowing Ukraine limited integration into EU institutions without
full voting rights, a measure intended to balance the EU's enlargement ambition
and commitment to Ukraine with some member states' concerns that accession is
proceeding too quickly.
