Merz believes Ukraine may have to agree to territorial loss in exchange for a path to the EU
German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at a meeting with students of the Charlemagne Gymnasium in Marsberg, western Germany, expressed the opinion that Ukraine, within the framework of a future peace agreement with Russia, may have to accept that part of its territories will remain outside Kyiv's control, writes Reuters.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz. Photo: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
According to Friedrich Merz, a possible ceasefire and a subsequent peace agreement could include difficult political compromises. He emphasized that in such a case, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could put this question to a referendum and explain to citizens that at the same time the country gains the prospect of joining the European Union.
"If President Zelenskyy wants to convey this to his own population and gain a majority for it, and he needs to hold a referendum on this matter, then he must simultaneously tell the people: 'I have opened the way to Europe for you'," Merz added.
At the same time, the Chancellor stressed that Ukraine's path to the EU would be long and could not be realized in the coming years. He noted that the targets for early 2027 or even 2028, outlined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are unrealistic due to the requirements for candidate countries in the areas of rule of law and combating corruption.
Merz also proposed intermediate integration mechanisms, involving Ukraine as an observer to individual EU institutions until full membership.
Prior to this, speaking at an informal EU summit in Cyprus, Zelenskyy categorically rejected any proposals for "symbolic membership," stating that Ukrainian troops are defending Europe not symbolically, but by putting their lives on the line.
"We aspire to the same full membership as all EU countries — from Cyprus to Poland," stated the President of Ukraine in his address to EU leaders. "The only thing we ask for is to accelerate the process of full membership, by setting a clear start date for it."
At the same summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa highly praised Ukraine's reform efforts, but cautioned against setting artificial deadlines.
"It's a two-way contract when you are a candidate country. These are difficult reforms that candidate countries must undertake," said von der Leyen.
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Comments
Но мерзавец, предавший Украину - все равно Трамп. А еще педофил. И агент путина.