00:00German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested Ukraine should become an associate member of the EU before becoming a fully-fledged
00:09member state,
00:10a proposal aimed at breaking the two-year deadlock in the country's bid to join the bloc.
00:16In a letter to EU leaders, Merz said,
00:19It is now time to boldly move on with Ukraine's EU integration through innovative solutions.
00:27Merz noted it was obvious the EU will not be able to complete the accession process shortly given the political
00:35complexities of ratification processes in various member states.
00:39The associate status, Merz argues in the document, would grant Ukraine access to the decision-making bodies, the European Council,
00:48the European Commission, and the European Parliament without voting rights or a dedicated portfolio.
00:55Crucially, it would enable Kyiv to request aid from other member states in the event of a new Russian attack.
01:03Merz first floated the idea during an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus last month,
01:09where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his push for fast-track accession and rejected any proposal for symbolic membership.
01:19According to Merz, the proposal of associate membership, which has no precedent in history, is set to raise a couple
01:27of questions.
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