Germany's future Chancellor opposes Ukraine's EU membership during war
Photo: future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
The future Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, supports the prospect of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO. However, he believes this is only possible after the war ends, Spiegel reports.
Merz spoke out against Ukraine's accession to both NATO and the EU while the country is in a state of war.
"A country that is at war cannot become a member of NATO or the European Union," the future German Chancellor stated.
Merz emphasized that the promise of joining the European Union is valid, as is the prospect of joining NATO.
"But for both of these events to happen, the war must first end," the future German Chancellor explained his position.
Ukraine's accession to NATO and EU
Ukraine's accession to NATO during the war is indeed unlikely due to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members.
This means that the accession of a new country to NATO during an active military conflict could automatically involve the Alliance in the war, which contradicts the principles of collective security. Therefore, even if Ukraine meets all the technical and political requirements for membership, its accession to NATO is only possible after the war ends.
As for the European Union, the war is not a legal obstacle to joining. The EU does not have a rule that forbids countries at war from becoming members.
Recently, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that Ukraine has fully completed its previous step towards joining the EU.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, recently shared when Ukraine might become an EU member.
