In a letter reviewed by the Reuters news agency, sent on Friday to European Council President António Costa, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Zelensky wrote: "It would be unfair for Ukraine to be present in the European Union, but remain voiceless."
"The time is right to move forward with Ukraine's membership in a full and meaningful way," he said.
What Germany proposed
Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this week suggested allowing Ukraine to attend EU institutional meetings without voting rights as an interim step towards full membership – an arrangement he said could help facilitate a peace deal to end Russia's war.
Under the proposal, Ukraine would gain non-voting representation at the European Council, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, along with a non-voting associate commissioner.
EU member states would also commit to applying the bloc's mutual defence clause to Ukraine as a security guarantee.
Merz acknowledged full membership was not achievable quickly given the war, but argued the arrangement would go well beyond Ukraine's existing association agreement and accelerate accession.
Zelensky's response
Thanking European leaders for their support during the war, Zelensky said Ukraine was acting as a bulwark against Russian aggression on behalf of the entire bloc.
He pointed to previous enlargement rounds as evidence that countries can integrate without having their rights restricted.
He also noted that the recent electoral defeat of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – a longstanding opponent of Ukrainian membership – had opened the door to meaningful progress on accession talks.
"We are defending Europe – fully, not partially, and not with half-measures," he wrote.
"Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights within Europe."
Mixed reactions
EU diplomats reacted cautiously, with some noting that "associate membership" has no existing legal basis and could require treaty changes.
Others questioned whether such a step was even necessary now that Budapest's veto had been lifted.
Slovakia has expressed outright opposition, while Hungary's new government has flagged concerns over the rights of its minority in Ukraine.
Within Germany, the Greens called the plan "worth considering and developing further", while stressing full membership must remain the ultimate goal.
(ał)
Source: PAP, IAR, Reuters