Yeah makes sense, associate membership sounds like a polite way of saying maybe later
Vermillionleon7 on
Not surprising at all. An “associate membership” is just a polite bureaucratic way of saying “you can sit at the kid’s table but you don’t get a vote.” After everything Ukraine has done to defend Europe’s eastern flank, Zelensky was never going to settle for a tiered system that keeps them entirely powerless in EU decision-making.
elhumanoid on
When you want everything, you risk ending up with nothing.
Also a negotiation isn’t really a negotiation, if you demand “100% work in for your people” now is it?
I get he’s desperate but that really was not a wise move or a way to operate here.
IronicStrikes on
Insanely dumb move. You gotta be in a whole different negotiation position to always demand the maximum possible outcome that everyone already told you is not on the table.
Archer_U on
Ukraine getting the Anakin treatment
tymofiy on
Makes sense. An agreement under which Ukraine gets to observe EU commissions, but no voting rights, no funds, no access to job market, same trade quotas – and also is decoupled from the current group of aspirants to be eternally stuck in its special limbo – such a thing hardly can be called a “membership”. [No guarantees, no rights](https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/articles/2026/05/21/7238058/)
And Zelensky is correct that Ukraine is currently defending Europe. The very reason NATO exists, and the reason European leaders pander to Trump’s antics is because they do fear Russia. Ukraine is currently solving this problem for them.
So out of basic sense of self-preservation, the EU has an interest in strong Ukraine. (that’s actually why the EU is helping, not out of charity).
And while Hungary is in the EU, preaching “but the rules” sounds silly.
Several_Magician1541 on
Ok fuck off and have nothing then.
I wish people would drop this narrative of self sacrificial Ukraine selflessly holding back the russian hordes from raping west europe. Ukraine is defending Ukraine and noone else, using weapons given to them to keep doing so.
Ukraine isnt doing anyone a favor, they are doing what they should be doing for themselves. (And there is nothing wrong with that btw)
Lawsmay on
Ya they should be full members… they literally fighting the battle for Europe right now.
ClydeTheSupreme on
What’s Merz argument?
It seems so unfair
DontTryItLol on
I Support Ukraine, it’s fair
Prestigious-Worry-14 on
Randy! You’re the associate trailer park supervisor. That’s a promotion!!
SPQR-Tightanus on
Good.
It is ridiculous that the EU as a mechanism already grants voting rights literally to everyone (including Russia itself via their proxies in EU), but not to Ukraine.
niemacotuwpisac on
It’s highly unlikely, bordering on impossible, that during the ongoing conflict, Ukraine will manage to negotiate and implement the necessary reforms, and at the same time, all EU countries will vote for Ukraine’s accession to the EU outright.
Ukraine received a helping hand and a fast-track integration process, and now it has rejected it.
This suggests that this is probably some kind of inside game on Zełęński’s part, or perhaps very unrealistic expectations, as he’s painting himself into a corner.
Let’s also add that Ukraine’s war with Russia isn’t over yet, and it’s not at all certain when it will end. Overall, there are only unknowns, and Ukraine is currently in a difficult situation.
The last thing that “works,” or doesn’t work, in international politics is the category of gratitude. This might upset some, but it doesn’t matter how long Ukraine fights Russia or whether it defends the EU. What matters is peace and its conditions, and what will happen afterward.
Well, on the other hand, let Ukraine play its best. Nobody can stop it, after all.
Roscoe_deVille on
The EU and NATO are really dropping the fucking ball
Ok-Bar601 on
Symbolically it would’ve sent a strong message that Europe will not back down from Russia, full membership would have to come later when peace negotiations start with Russia.
MDBerlin24 on
So many people here that have no clue what becoming an EU member even means and what the Ukraine would have to do to keep it. (There are standards they have to comply to) 0 clue about general politics either, just feelings and emotions.
Madmartigan2024 on
Fulfill requirements or don’t join. There are other nations EU are still waiting and are not talked about at all. And they have waited longer.
AngryTomato027 on
U need to top up 10B for EU Pro membership, enjoy free gift 🎁
PreferenceOwn6424 on
Hopefully Putin levels the “EU”
Chefs-Kiss on
He did it bc it leaves Ukraine without a voice.
illAdvisedMemeName on
Time for Reddit to speculate baselessly based on vibes like they know what was said in the conversations behind closed doors.
Original_Media_6427 on
I’m sorry, but in order to join the EU, candidate countries simply have to meet certain rules and requirements. I think that’s only fair.
teapots_at_ten_paces on
All in or not at all.
Good.
lostedeneloi on
Does sas airlines have oat milk
AsterVox on
I see too many times two extremes. People claiming Ukraine is singlehandedly saving Europe and people shitting on it.
It’s a difficult situation.
A Russian defeat would be an economical and political victory for Europe, yes. It’s the reason why so many powers have given Ukraine that many weapons.
Russia won’t invade a NATO country, so no; Ukraine isn’t saving Europe from any sort of major scale war.
Before the war, Ukraine was among the most corrupt countries in Europe, before they can even begin the process to become a EU country, there are standards they need to conform to.
Most importantly: it’s very unlikely there will be any actual talks of having Ukraine enter the EU while the war is still going on.
eldar4k on
Its a joke proposal from Merz, effectively it creates second tier membership with no real influence from Ukraine on EU decision making. Just say you don’t want to have country size of Ukraine in EU as member and be keep political speech to yourself. That associate membership is load of nothing, it’s not like Ukraine officials don’t have access to meetings already, you don’t need some parody of membership for that.
tecnobishes on
Mr entitlement strikes again
WeyuCorp426 on
“You are a member of this council, but we do not grant you the rank of master”
28 Comments
Yeah makes sense, associate membership sounds like a polite way of saying maybe later
Not surprising at all. An “associate membership” is just a polite bureaucratic way of saying “you can sit at the kid’s table but you don’t get a vote.” After everything Ukraine has done to defend Europe’s eastern flank, Zelensky was never going to settle for a tiered system that keeps them entirely powerless in EU decision-making.
When you want everything, you risk ending up with nothing.
Also a negotiation isn’t really a negotiation, if you demand “100% work in for your people” now is it?
I get he’s desperate but that really was not a wise move or a way to operate here.
Insanely dumb move. You gotta be in a whole different negotiation position to always demand the maximum possible outcome that everyone already told you is not on the table.
Ukraine getting the Anakin treatment
Makes sense. An agreement under which Ukraine gets to observe EU commissions, but no voting rights, no funds, no access to job market, same trade quotas – and also is decoupled from the current group of aspirants to be eternally stuck in its special limbo – such a thing hardly can be called a “membership”. [No guarantees, no rights](https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/articles/2026/05/21/7238058/)
And Zelensky is correct that Ukraine is currently defending Europe. The very reason NATO exists, and the reason European leaders pander to Trump’s antics is because they do fear Russia. Ukraine is currently solving this problem for them.
So out of basic sense of self-preservation, the EU has an interest in strong Ukraine. (that’s actually why the EU is helping, not out of charity).
And while Hungary is in the EU, preaching “but the rules” sounds silly.
Ok fuck off and have nothing then.
I wish people would drop this narrative of self sacrificial Ukraine selflessly holding back the russian hordes from raping west europe. Ukraine is defending Ukraine and noone else, using weapons given to them to keep doing so.
Ukraine isnt doing anyone a favor, they are doing what they should be doing for themselves. (And there is nothing wrong with that btw)
Ya they should be full members… they literally fighting the battle for Europe right now.
What’s Merz argument?
It seems so unfair
I Support Ukraine, it’s fair
Randy! You’re the associate trailer park supervisor. That’s a promotion!!
Good.
It is ridiculous that the EU as a mechanism already grants voting rights literally to everyone (including Russia itself via their proxies in EU), but not to Ukraine.
It’s highly unlikely, bordering on impossible, that during the ongoing conflict, Ukraine will manage to negotiate and implement the necessary reforms, and at the same time, all EU countries will vote for Ukraine’s accession to the EU outright.
Ukraine received a helping hand and a fast-track integration process, and now it has rejected it.
This suggests that this is probably some kind of inside game on Zełęński’s part, or perhaps very unrealistic expectations, as he’s painting himself into a corner.
Let’s also add that Ukraine’s war with Russia isn’t over yet, and it’s not at all certain when it will end. Overall, there are only unknowns, and Ukraine is currently in a difficult situation.
The last thing that “works,” or doesn’t work, in international politics is the category of gratitude. This might upset some, but it doesn’t matter how long Ukraine fights Russia or whether it defends the EU. What matters is peace and its conditions, and what will happen afterward.
Well, on the other hand, let Ukraine play its best. Nobody can stop it, after all.
The EU and NATO are really dropping the fucking ball
Symbolically it would’ve sent a strong message that Europe will not back down from Russia, full membership would have to come later when peace negotiations start with Russia.
So many people here that have no clue what becoming an EU member even means and what the Ukraine would have to do to keep it. (There are standards they have to comply to) 0 clue about general politics either, just feelings and emotions.
Fulfill requirements or don’t join. There are other nations EU are still waiting and are not talked about at all. And they have waited longer.
U need to top up 10B for EU Pro membership, enjoy free gift 🎁
Hopefully Putin levels the “EU”
He did it bc it leaves Ukraine without a voice.
Time for Reddit to speculate baselessly based on vibes like they know what was said in the conversations behind closed doors.
I’m sorry, but in order to join the EU, candidate countries simply have to meet certain rules and requirements. I think that’s only fair.
All in or not at all.
Good.
Does sas airlines have oat milk
I see too many times two extremes. People claiming Ukraine is singlehandedly saving Europe and people shitting on it.
It’s a difficult situation.
A Russian defeat would be an economical and political victory for Europe, yes. It’s the reason why so many powers have given Ukraine that many weapons.
Russia won’t invade a NATO country, so no; Ukraine isn’t saving Europe from any sort of major scale war.
Before the war, Ukraine was among the most corrupt countries in Europe, before they can even begin the process to become a EU country, there are standards they need to conform to.
Most importantly: it’s very unlikely there will be any actual talks of having Ukraine enter the EU while the war is still going on.
Its a joke proposal from Merz, effectively it creates second tier membership with no real influence from Ukraine on EU decision making. Just say you don’t want to have country size of Ukraine in EU as member and be keep political speech to yourself. That associate membership is load of nothing, it’s not like Ukraine officials don’t have access to meetings already, you don’t need some parody of membership for that.
Mr entitlement strikes again
“You are a member of this council, but we do not grant you the rank of master”