Volodymyr Zelensky considers Germany's proposal to grant Ukraine 'associate' member status in the EU as 'unfair', as it would leave Kyiv without voting rights.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, sent a letter to the leaders of the European Union, in which he rejects Germany's proposal to grant Ukraine 'associate' member status in the EU. He believes that this initiative would leave Ukraine without voting rights within the community bloc, which would be 'unfair'.

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that this status could be an intermediate step before Ukraine's full accession to the EU. Zelensky emphasized that the recent outcome of the elections in Hungary, which led to the removal of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, could facilitate progress in the accession negotiations.

In his letter addressed to European leaders, Zelensky thanked them for their support for Ukraine in the war with Russia and stated that Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights in Europe. He emphasized that Ukraine defends all of Europe against Russian aggression.