Future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports the prospect of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO, but believes that this is possible only after the war against Russia ends.
Points of attention
- Future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports Ukraine joining the EU and NATO but only post cessation of war with Russia.
- Active conflict can implicate NATO in war under Article Five of the Washington Treaty, making Ukraine's NATO membership conditional on peace.
- EU has no legal restrictions on countries at war, implying that Ukraine's accession to the EU is feasible even during the war.
Merz believes that the EU and NATO are not the right time for Ukraine
Merz opposed Ukraine's accession to both NATO and the EU while the country is in a state of war.
A country that is at war cannot become a member of NATO or the European Union.
Friedrich Merz
German politician
He emphasized that the promise to join the European Union is valid, as is the prospect of joining NATO.
But for both of these events to happen, the war must first end.
Note that Ukraine's accession to NATO during a war is indeed unlikely, due to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which stipulates that an attack on one member of the Alliance is an attack on all.
This means that the accession of a new country to NATO during an active conflict could automatically involve the Alliance in war, which is contrary to the principles of collective security. Therefore, even if Ukraine meets all the technical and political requirements for membership, its accession to NATO is possible only after the end of the war.
As for the European Union, war is not a legal obstacle to entry. The EU has no rule that prohibits countries at war from becoming members.
