US EditionMerz suggests Ukraine may have to accept territorial loss to help pave way for EU membership
Merz said Ukraine may need a referendum on territorial losses and a temporary observer role before full EU membership.
- On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested Ukraine might need to accept territorial losses in a peace deal with Russia to secure European Union membership, linking potential concessions to accession prospects.
- Progress toward membership previously stalled under Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, though his recent election defeat raised hopes; however, Merz cautioned that Ukraine cannot join the bloc while at war, dismissing 2027 and 2028 as unrealistic.
- Merz told students in Marsberg that if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks public backing for a peace deal, he must hold a referendum and tell citizens: 'I have opened the way to Europe for you.'
- Rejecting overtures for 'symbolic membership,' Zelenskyy argued his troops are not defending Europe symbolically, stating: 'We seek the same full membership that every EU nation has from Cyprus to Poland.'
- The European Commission maintains that accession remains a merit-based process requiring unanimous approval from all member states, even as the European Union approved 90 billion euro in loans supporting Ukraine through 2027.
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40 Articles
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hinted on Monday that Ukraine may have to accept that parts of its territory remain outside its control in a future peace deal with Russia, linking it to its chances of joining the EU.
Ukraine may even be forced to give up territory as part of a future peace agreement, but this could pave the way for accession to the European Union, the German Chancellor said at a public forum.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested that Ukraine's path to European Union membership could include territorial concessions and that both issues could be decided in parallel referendums. About 20% of Ukrainian territory is currently under Russian occupation, the Telegraph reports. "At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement. At some point, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia. Then it could happen that part of Ukrainian te…
Ukraine may have to accept territorial losses, Germany's Merz says
The chancellor said Zelensky would need a referendum majority for such a step. To secure that majority, Merz added, Zelensky would have to tell the Ukrainian people: "But I have opened the way to Europe for you."
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