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Ireland warns: “Associated” membership could leave Ukraine on a deadlocked path to EU

2026-05-22 20:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ireland warns: “Associated” membership could leave Ukraine on a

Ireland has expressed strong concerns over a new proposal that aims to grant Ukraine “associate membership” status in the European Union, warning that such a model could leave the country in a precarious position and without clear progress towards full membership.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said such an approach risks creating a two-tier system in the EU enlargement process, where some countries could remain stuck in an intermediate status with no guarantee of full membership.

Her statements come after a plan proposed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which suggests creating a new status for Ukraine that would give it access to some EU structures and programs, but without voting rights and without full membership.

Under this proposal, Ukraine would be gradually included in European institutions and could seek support in the event of aggression, but remain outside the bloc's full decision-making.

The Ukrainian government, through Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, has emphasized that its goal remains full membership in the EU, rejecting the idea that an intermediate status could replace the full integration process.

Brussels, meanwhile, has welcomed discussions on "innovative solutions", but has underlined that the enlargement process must remain based on merit and on the reforms required by candidate countries.

The debate comes at a time when the EU is trying to unblock Ukraine's accession process, which has been hampered for two years by disagreements among member states, including a Hungarian veto.

According to European diplomats, the coming months will be crucial in determining whether Ukraine will progress towards opening new negotiations or remain in an intermediate stage of integration./ CNA





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