German Chancellor Friedrich Merz submitted a proposal to the European Union to grant Ukraine associate member status without voting rights.

This was reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel. According to the initiative, this status would allow Ukrainian representatives to officially attend EU summits and participate in meetings of the European Commission and the European Parliament. However, it provides for the possibility of suspending or curtailing this status should Kyiv retreat from the negotiation process or violate the EU's fundamental values.

Merz's proposal reflects the desire of some European politicians to find an intermediate format for Ukraine's integration amid the protracted conflict and fatigue with military spending.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously repeatedly rejected any form of membership other than full accession to the EU.