By Daniel Flynn
KYIV, May 23 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a letter to EU leaders that a German proposal to grant Ukraine "associate" membership of the European Union was "unfair" because it would leave Kyiv without a voice inside the bloc.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suggested allowing Ukraine to participate in EU meetings without a vote as an interim step to full membership of the bloc, which he said could help facilitate a deal to end the four-year-old war triggered by Russia's invasion.
In response, Zelenskiy said in his letter, sent late on Friday and reviewed by Reuters, that the removal of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a staunch opponent of Ukraine's EU membership - following elections last month created the opportunity for substantive progress on accession talks.
"It would be unfair for Ukraine to be present in the European Union, but remain voiceless," Zelenskiy said in his message. "The time is right to move forward with Ukraine's membership in a full and meaningful way."
The letter was addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who holds the rotating chair of the EU Council.
Zelenskiy thanked European leaders for their support during the war, and said that Ukraine was acting as a bulwark against Russian aggression for the whole of the 27-nation bloc.
"We are defending Europe – fully, not partially, and not with half-measures," he said. "Ukraine deserves a fair approach and equal rights within Europe."
(Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Susan Fenton)
