The European Commission has officially confirmed that it received a letter from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in which he calls for seeking “innovative solutions” to advance Ukraine’s path to membership in the European Union, even before the country fully joins.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Discussion on EU enlargement and Ukraine’s role
The European Commission emphasized the importance of ongoing discussions among member states regarding the future enlargement of the EU. Commission representatives expressed support for such discussions and urged their continuation at the level of the European Council, highlighting that they demonstrate the strong commitment of member states to achieve the enlargement of the European Union as soon as possible.
“This shows that member states also have a strong commitment to making enlargement a reality as soon as possible,” said a spokesperson for the European Commission.
Geostrategic importance of Ukraine’s accession
In Brussels, it is emphasized that the enlargement process is becoming increasingly significant as a “geostrategic investment” in the security, peace, and prosperity of the European Union itself. According to officials, Ukraine’s accession to the EU is closely linked to security guarantees for the entire community.
At the same time, the European Commission noted that any “innovative solutions” that could expedite the integration process must remain within the principle of merit. This means that each candidate country must meet the established criteria for advancing towards membership.
It was previously reported that in his letter to the EU leadership, as well as to the President of Cyprus, who currently heads the EU Council, Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for “swift advancement” of Ukraine as one of the key leaders among candidates for accession to the European Union. Merz stressed that EU enlargement is a geopolitical necessity, but acknowledged that the current integration process is dragging on, leading to frustration among both candidates and existing Union members. For this reason, the German Chancellor proposed considering alternative approaches to expedite Ukraine’s integration, given that full accession may take considerable time.