Germany's Merz pitches making Ukraine EU 'associate member'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an "associate member" of the EU without voting rights, while Kyiv goes through the lengthy process of joining fully, a letter seen by AFP Thursday said.

The plan -- first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month -- would see Ukraine's leader attend the bloc's summit but not be able to cast a vote.

Kyiv would have a representative at the top table of the EU's executive, the European Commission, and non-voting members of the European parliament.

Under the proposal, outlined by Merz in a letter to EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the bloc's mutual assistance clause would apply to Ukraine, and it could benefit from parts of the EU's budget.

"It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process shortly, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes," Merz wrote.

"What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately."

Ukraine is pushing to speed up its bid to join the 27-nation European Union as it fights Russia's invasion on the battlefield.

Kyiv's progress was blocked by Hungary's nationalist former premier Viktor Orban, but his ouster by rival Peter Magyar has raised hopes Kyiv could now move forward.

Merz's plan could face scepticism from both Germany's EU counterparts and from Ukraine.

Kyiv is desperate to keep up momentum towards joining the bloc and fears that any suggested interim solutions will see it stranded in a halfway house.

The German leader insisted he still wants Ukraine to eventually become a "full member" and urged launching "all negotiation clusters" immediately.

"It would not be a membership light," he wrote.

Ukraine sees membership of the EU as vital to its future recovery and security, as the United States has essentially closed the door on it joining NATO.