Ukraine deserves full EU membership: Zelensky

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. [AFP]

Ukraine deserves full EU membership, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, pointing out that his country was defending Europe by fighting off the Russian invasion.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pitched to make Kyiv an "associate member" without voting rights, for the duration of the lengthy negotiations before a complete accession, according to a letter to the bloc's leadership seen by AFP on Thursday.

Zelensky, though, insisted on full EU membership for his country.

In his daily address, he said that "without Ukraine, there can be no fully-fledged European project, and Ukraine's presence in the EU must also be complete -- with full rights."

"Ukraine is fighting for its life, for its independence, and for that Europe which has lived in peace the longest," he added, urging the 27-member bloc to advance membership negotiations.

The associate-membership plan -- first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month -- would see Ukraine attend the bloc's summits and have a representative in the European Commission, while also benefiting from parts of the EU budget, but without having full voting rights.

Ukraine submitted its EU membership bid days after the Russian invasion in 2022. It was granted official candidate status a few months after, with accession negotiations kicking off in 2024.

The complicated EU accession process usually takes years, involving negotiations on multiple issues, from agriculture to the rule of law.

The EU-Ukraine talks have barely moved, as progress was blocked by Hungary's nationalist former premier Viktor Orban. But Orban's ouster by rival Peter Magyar has raised hopes Kyiv could now move forward with the discussions.

Ukraine also suffers from endemic corruption, with the latest scandal involving Zelensky's entourage, according to Ukrainian prosecutors. Eradicating graft is among the EU's top demands to Ukraine.