David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, has urged Ukraine to take a fresh look at Germany's proposal for EU associate membership, an idea Kyiv has firmly rejected so far. He made the case in an interview with the European Newsroom network, calling the offer an opportunity Ukraine should seize.

The proposal comes from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who first raised it last year and set it out in a letter to EU leaders in May. Under the plan, Ukraine could attend EU summits and ministerial meetings, send an associate member to the European Commission and associate members to the European Parliament, and have an associate judge at the European Court of Justice, all without voting rights. Mr McAllister said claims that this would amount to "membership light" were incorrect.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opposed the idea, arguing it would be unfair for Ukraine to sit at the EU table without a say. In a letter to EU leaders he wrote that it would be unfair for Ukraine to be present in the European Union but remain voiceless, and he has pressed instead for full membership as soon as possible. Berlin has not dropped the proposal, and Mr Merz is still pushing it as a bridge while full accession talks continue.

The debate follows the European Commission's 2026 enlargement package, which named Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine as the four frontrunners for membership. Montenegro is seen as closest to joining, possibly as the EU's 28th member in 2028, while Moldova could finish negotiations in early 2028.

North Macedonia's path remains blocked by deadlock with Bulgaria, and Georgia's accession process is effectively halted over democratic backsliding. For Ukraine, Mr McAllister argued, the associate offer deserves a second hearing while the longer road to full membership continues.