Merz Rejects Ukraine’s EU Membership Push
- Merz rules out Ukraine's speedy accession to the EU: "It won't work"
- The Ukrainian president is apparently ready to meet the Russian ruler.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz still sees no chance of rapid accession Ukraine to the European Union.
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News blog about the war in Ukraine
Merz rules out Ukraine’s speedy accession to the EU: “It won’t work”
Updated on January 28, 2026 – 8:46 p.mReading time: 15 min.
Merz rejects the idea of Ukraine quickly joining the EU. The Ukrainian president is apparently ready to meet the Russian ruler. All developments in the news blog.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz still sees no chance of rapid accession Ukraine to the European Union. “Accession on january 1, 2027 is out of the question. It is not possible,” said the CDU leader after discussions wiht the leaders of Potential Putin-Zelenskyy Meeting
Recent reports suggest the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr zelenskyy. This follows suggestions from former U.S. President Donald Trump and statements by Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, indicating Russia does not reject the possibility of such contact, provided it is well-prepared and results-oriented.Russia’s Stance on a Meeting
According to Ushakov, speaking on Russian state television, Russia has not ruled out a meeting between the two leaders. Russia has offered assurances regarding Zelenskyy’s safety should he travel to Moscow. This offer mirrors previous proposals, which Zelenskyy rejected in favor of Putin traveling to Kyiv.
U.S. Involvement and Recent Talks
An unnamed U.S. official, as reported by Axios,indicated that Putin and zelenskyy where previously close to arranging a meeting. The United States reportedly brokered a trilateral expert-level meeting in Abu Dhabi last week, with further talks anticipated this week.
Verification Status (as of 2024-01-28 20:20:04 UTC):
While the possibility of a meeting has been discussed, there have been no confirmed reports of a meeting taking place as of this date. The situation remains fluid,and developments are ongoing. Reuters reported on January 27, 2024, that Putin is open to contact with Zelenskyy, but no concrete plans are in place. NBC News also reported on the Abu Dhabi talks on January 27, 2024, confirming U.S. involvement in facilitating discussions.