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.