Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has rejected a proposal to grant Ukraine a special “associate member” status in the European Union. The idea was put forward by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a temporary step during Ukraine’s accession process. Fico said the EU must either fully accept a country or not at all, stressing that membership requires meeting strict conditions over many years. He added that there is currently no political consensus within the EU to support such a proposal. Instead, Fico pointed to Western Balkan countries, including Montenegro, Albania, and Serbia, as priorities for future EU enlargement.
Source: TASR
Patrícia Polakovičová, Photo: DPA/TASR
