Merz says Ukraine's path to EU is key to ending war with Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday, April 27, that Ukraine's closer integration into the EU could be a key condition for ending Russia's war against Ukraine.

Speaking during a discussion with students in the town of Marsberg, Merz said a future peace deal with Russia could include territorial concessions from Kiev - and EU accession could be vital in the proposed referendum on territorial concessions.

"We hope that one day there will be a peace treaty with Russia. Then it is possible that part of the territory of Ukraine will no longer be Ukrainian," he said, according to the German newspaper. Die Welt.

Merz argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will need to be able to convince the country that he has "opened the way to Europe for you" if the referendum is to be held.

He called on the EU to take steps towards Ukraine's membership that are "credible, irreversible and ultimately leading to full membership."

Merz recently proposed to allow Ukrainian representatives to participate in meetings of the main EU institutions – including the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission – without voting rights as a temporary measure.

The German Chancellor added that the EU has the potential to rival the United States in strength if member states deepen cooperation.

"If we unite more and act together, we can be at least as strong as the United States," he said.

The remarks were made during an EU project day at a local school, part of a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of European politics among students.

Previously, the Financial Times reported that France and Germany are propose a "symbolic" form of integration into the European Union for Ukraine, which would provide limited benefits before full membership.

But Ukraine's foreign minister has ruled out this possibility, saying that does not accept any "an"ë"alleged innocence" or “partial” formats.

The Geopost