KYIV, May 23 (Reuters) - 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 suggested earlier this week allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings and institutions without a vote as an interim step toward 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 a letter sent late on Friday, reviewed by Reuters, that Ukraine was pressing ahead quickly with the reforms needed for full EU membership while also 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," said the 48-year-old leader, accusing Russia of trying to destroy European unity and destabilize parts of the continent. "It would be unfair for Ukraine to be present in the European Union, but remain voiceless."
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 Europe's leaders for their support during the war - Europe's largest conflict since World War Two. EU states approved last month a two-year, 90 billion euro ($104.42 billion)loan to help fund Ukraine's war efforts after months of delays.
There was now an opportunity for substantive progress on accession talks, Zelenskiy said, following the removal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership who lost elections in April.
"The time is right to move forward with Ukraine's membership in a full and meaningful way," Zelenskiy said in his message. "Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights within Europe."
MEMBERSHIP WILL TAKE TIME, EU OFFICIALS SAY
A clear route into the EU could help Zelenskiy to sell any peace settlement to Ukrainians, particularly if - as widely expected - a settlement does not hand Ukraine control of all of its territory or membership of the NATO military alliance, analysts say.
But many European officials say it is unrealistic for Ukraine to achieve full membershipin the bloc in the next few years, even though a date of 2027 was pencilled into a 20-point peace plan discussed among the United States, Ukraine and Russia. EU accession requires ratification by each of the bloc’s 27 members, a process that could lead to significant obstacles.
Merz's proposal was billed as an attempt to find a middle way between a quick accession and Ukraine's current status as a candidate country at the start of the process. Ukraine hopes to open negotiations on six areas for European Union accession - known as 'clusters' - within two months.
A German government spokesman said Berlin was aligned with Zelenskiy in wanting to start those negotiations as soon as possible and saw itself as paving the way to EU membership for Kyiv.
"Germany is and will remain Ukraine's most important supporter," the spokesman said, adding that Merz's proposal was meant to launch a frank discussion. "The focus is on pragmatic intermediate steps toward full membership. Full membership remains the goal."
Zelenskiy said in his letter that, despite the pressure of war, Ukraine was making good progress on the reforms required to meet EU democratic and economic standards.
"We fully understand that European integration does not happen overnight," he said. "But previous rounds of enlargement have already shown very clearly that countries can be given time to integrate without limiting their rights inside the EU." Merz had said in a letter to EU officials - reported by Reuters on Thursday - that he would discuss his idea of "associate" membership for Ukraine with fellow European leaders and suggested the creation of a task force to finalise the details.
The proposal included a "political commitment" to apply the bloc's mutual assistance and defence clause to Ukraine, as well as allowing Ukraine a non-voting associate commissioner of the European Commission and non-voting representatives at the European Parliament, and gradual access to the EU budget.
Some diplomats in Brussels reacted with caution to Merz's proposal, noting that the status of "associate" member does not exist and could require changes to EU treaties. Others questioned whether such an approach was needed after Hungary's veto on the process was lifted, and suggested it was better to focus on advancing negotiations towards full membership. But some diplomats said the German proposal could be seen simply as an effort to speed up Ukraine's progress.
"If the German proposal helps accelerate integration without hindering or delaying full membership, then it is worth having a closer look," said one EU diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
($1 = 0.8619 euros)
(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Additional reporting by Markus Wacket in BerlinEditing by Susan Fenton and Tomasz Janowski)
