Von der Leyen avoided the topic of "associated membership" for Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Ursula von der Leyen at the EU summit in Cyprus avoided the topic of Ukraine's associated membership proposed in Germany. She spoke about the EU budget, funding, and reforms on a merit-based principle.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during a speech after the informal EU summit in Cyprus, did not comment on the idea of "associate membership" for Ukraine, which was previously proposed in Germany, UNN reports.
Details
Instead, she spoke about the future EU budget, new sources of funding, competitiveness, and the EU's preparation for new challenges.
In Brussels, it is once again emphasized that the Union's enlargement occurs on a merit-based principle – through reforms, negotiations, and compliance with criteria.
The absence of mention of intermediate formats may indicate that the European Commission is not currently considering replacing full membership for Ukraine with an alternative status.
Supplement
France and Germany plan to provide Ukraine with "symbolic" benefits at the pre-accession stage to the European Union, which exclude Kyiv's access to the bloc's budget and voting rights.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, that Ukraine does not consider options for partial or "simplified" integration into the European Union and NATO and seeks full membership in both organizations.