Ukraine's accession to the EU is out of the question, - Merz

“Accession on January 1, 2027, is out of the question. It is impossible,” he said.

The German chancellor noted that any country that wants to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, and this process usually takes several years, according to dpa.

He stressed that Ukraine needs a perspective that will pave the way for accession in the long term.

“We can slowly bring Ukraine closer to the European Union. This is always possible, but such a rapid accession is simply unrealistic,” he said.

Regarding the end of the war with Russia, Merz noted that there are other priorities at the moment.

“We are in close contact with the US and Ukrainian delegations. We have also jointly prepared documents, and it is good that direct negotiations are now taking place between Ukraine and Russia. We are accompanying these negotiations with great support and great hope that they will be concluded as soon as possible,” he said.

Photo: Ukrpravda.