Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged European Union leaders to move forward with Ukraine’s full membership bid, rejecting a German-backed proposal for “associate” membership that would allow Kyiv participation in EU institutions without voting rights.
In a letter addressed to senior EU officials, Zelenskyy described the proposal as “unfair,” arguing that it would leave Ukraine “voiceless” inside the bloc while the country continues to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
His appeal comes after the removal of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose government repeatedly blocked Ukraine’s accession efforts and delayed aid approvals through vetoes inside the EU.
Zelenskyy said the political change in Hungary created an opportunity for meaningful progress on Ukraine’s accession process.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed earlier this week that Ukraine receive interim participation in EU meetings and institutions without formal voting powers while negotiations for full membership continue.
The proposal included gradual access to EU institutions, budget mechanisms and security guarantees linked to the bloc’s mutual defence clause.
Some diplomats in Brussels reacted cautiously, noting that no formal “associate” membership status currently exists within the EU framework and that treaty changes could be required.
Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine deserved equal rights inside Europe, adding that previous rounds of EU enlargement had allowed countries time to integrate without limiting political representation.
Ukraine hopes to open negotiations on six accession clusters within the coming months, though several European officials have warned that full membership could still take years.
The diplomatic push unfolded as fighting between Ukraine and Russia intensified across several regions.
Officials in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region said the death toll from a drone strike in Starobilsk had risen to 10, while dozens more were reported injured or missing.
Zelenskyy also claimed Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s Metafrax Chemical plant in the Perm region and oil infrastructure in Yaroslavl and Novorossiysk.
He said Ukrainian forces had retaken nearly 600 square kilometres of territory since the start of the year while increasing pressure on Russian military infrastructure and supply chains.