POLAND PERSPECTIVE

Warsaw, May 21, 2026. Poland's diplomacy reacted with calculated prudence to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's proposal to grant Ukraine an "associate member" status in the European Union. A high-ranking Polish diplomat, cited by RMF FM, described the initiative as "a creative idea" while immediately clarifying that Warsaw was verifying its compatibility with European treaties. In the chancellery's vocabulary, this formulation is equivalent to a discreet yellow card: unconventional, risky, not yet validated.

Merz's proposal, revealed by AFP from a letter addressed to European leaders, provides for a Kyiv representative to sit on the European Council and certain ministerial meetings, a Ukrainian "associate commissioner" to join the Commission without a defined portfolio, and Ukrainian "associated" MEPs to participate in the Strasbourg Parliament's work without voting rights. Ukraine could also benefit from the community budget and mutual assistance clauses. Merz justifies this path by "the numerous obstacles and political complexity of the ratification process" of a full membership.

For Warsaw, the problem is not the objective – Poland firmly supports Ukraine's membership since the February 2022 Russian invasion – but the method. A second Polish diplomat reminded RMF FM that similar proposals had already circulated during discussions on a "peace plan" pushed by Donald Trump, without ever materializing. He also pointed out the selective nature of the initiative: it exclusively targets Ukraine, while Moldova and Western Balkan countries, including Montenegro with very advanced negotiations, are also actively pursuing membership processes. Creating a tailor-made regime for Kyiv risks fueling frustration in the Balkans and pushing certain governments towards the Russian or Chinese orbit.

Warsaw's central concern remains the institutionalization of the provisional: a status that would offer Ukraine the prestige of European institutions without the legal security of Article 5 of the EU or full solidarity mechanisms. In other words, an associate status could, in the long run, become a political excuse to indefinitely delay membership rather than a stepping stone towards it. Zelensky himself has, in the past, emphasized the need for full integration to ensure Ukraine's reconstruction and security.

Furthermore, compliance with treaties constitutes a serious hurdle.