"At some point, Ukraine will sign a ceasefire agreement and, hopefully, a peace treaty with Russia. At that time, a portion of Ukraine's territory may no longer belong to them", German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated today at an event in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to Merz, a potential peace agreement with Russia is what Ukraine needs to achieve to pave the way for its European Union (EU) accession process. Russia has repeatedly demanded territorial concessions from Ukraine for a peace agreement, while Kyiv has firmly refused.

According to data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has gained control of an additional 13% of Ukraine's territory since the conflict began in February 2022. Including Crimea and parts of Donbas that Russia controlled previously, this figure stands at about 20%.

Areas under Russian control. *Graphic: Telegraph*

Merz added that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to convey this message to the people and gain majority support, "he needs to hold a referendum and tell the people, 'I have paved the way for you to Europe'."

Ukraine's EU accession process was previously hindered by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, Orban's defeat in elections earlier this month has raised hopes that the process could be accelerated. Currently, Ukraine holds official EU candidate status.

However, Merz cautioned against excessive optimism regarding Ukraine's rapid EU accession. He stated that Ukraine cannot join the bloc while at war and must first meet strict criteria, including those related to rule of law and anti-corruption.

Zelensky once proposed Ukraine becoming an EU member by 1/1/2027. "That is not feasible. Even the 1/1/2028 target is unrealistic", Merz said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at an event in Marsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia on 27/4. *Photo: AP*

The German Chancellor proposed implementing intermediate steps, such as granting Ukraine observer status in EU institutions. He said this proposal received approval from many European leaders at a summit last week in Cyprus, which Zelensky also attended.

Last week, the EU approved a loan worth 90 billion euro (nearly 106 billion USD) for Ukraine, to cover most of the country's budgetary needs until 2027, despite internal disagreements within the bloc regarding the pace of accession talks with Ukraine.

Thanh Tam (Reuters, AFP)