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Any interim model for Ukraine’s integration into the European Union must not become a substitute for full membership, which should remain the strategic objective for both Kyiv and Brussels, according to Robin Wagener, chair of the German-Ukrainian Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag.
Speaking in an interview with Ukrinform, the Alliance 90/The Greens lawmaker commented on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s proposal to introduce an “associated membership” format for Ukraine before full EU accession.
“First and foremost, everything depends on what exactly is meant by this concept. It is absolutely unacceptable to us if such a form of association were to become a substitute for Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union. That is precisely where I see the main danger of this proposal,” Wagener said.
He warned that an intermediate status could create incentives for delaying both European Union and Ukrainian reforms.
“One of the risks is that the European Union could leave Ukraine in an intermediate status for a long time, postponing the necessary decisions,” he said.
According to Wagener, the same risk exists within Ukraine, where some political forces could use an interim arrangement as an argument against implementing reforms required for full EU accession.
“There may be those who argue: ‘Perhaps we can gain access to the internal market through an association agreement anyway, without carrying out all the reforms necessary for full membership,’” he noted.
Wagener stressed that any new mechanisms of cooperation should serve only as instruments to accelerate Ukraine’s path toward joining the bloc.
“I am convinced that Ukraine’s full membership in the European Union must remain the strategic goal,” he emphasized.
The German lawmaker also argued that Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction should be accompanied from the outset by its gradual integration into the EU’s single market, helping align the country economically and institutionally with the European Union ahead of accession.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine an “associated membership” status that would allow the country to participate in meetings of EU institutions before becoming a full member. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that Ukraine’s future in the European Union must be based on full membership with equal rights.
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