German Chancellor Merz calls for EU associate status for Ukraine, veto reform

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined a proposal to give Ukraine an associate status within the European Union. The plan would allow a Ukrainian commissioner without a portfolio to sit in Brussels, let Ukrainian lawmakers attend European Parliament debates, and enable Kyiv’s participation in EU leaders’ summits, but would not grant voting rights. Merz stressed that full EU membership for Ukraine remains contingent on meeting all accession criteria.

At the same time, Germany and France discussed amending the EU treaties so that any country joining the bloc would not automatically receive a veto right. The change is intended to prevent future members from using the veto in ways similar to the former Hungarian government under Viktor Orban. The reform would mainly affect candidate states such as Albania and Montenegro.