Merz says fast-track EU membership for Ukraine not feasible

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday he sees no chance of Ukraine joining the European Union in the near future, The Daily Baku informs via Dpa.

"Accession on January 1, 2027, is out of the question. It's not possible," Merz said on Wednesday after talks with his coalition partners in Berlin.

Any country that wants to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, a process that usually takes several years, the chancellor noted.

However, he emphasized that Ukraine needs a perspective that paves the way for accession in the longer term. "We can slowly bring Ukraine closer to the European Union along the way."

"That is always possible, but such a rapid accession is simply not feasible," Merz said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday reiterated his demand for EU membership for his country as early as 2027.

"Ukraine's accession to the European Union is one of the key security guarantees not only for us, but also for all of Europe," he wrote on X after a telephone conversation with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker.

"Europe's collective strength is possible, in particular, thanks to Ukraine's security, technological, and economic contributions," Zelenskyy continued.