German leader says Ukraine cannot join EU now. He offers a different plan.

Apr 24, 2026, 15:48

Introduction

On April 24, German leader Friedrich Merz said Ukraine cannot join the European Union (EU) now. He offered a different idea. Ukraine can come to EU meetings but cannot vote. He said this after an EU meeting in Cyprus. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky was at the meeting.

Main Body

Ukraine wants to join the EU quickly. It is fighting a war with Russia. Some EU countries are not sure about this. Hungary's leader Viktor Orban did not want Ukraine to join. But he lost an election. Now people think Ukraine can move forward. EU leaders want to start talks with Ukraine. But the EU does not want to give Ukraine full membership fast. So Merz said Ukraine can come to EU meetings but cannot vote. This is a temporary idea. Before the meeting, President Zelensky said no to this idea. He said Ukraine wants full membership. He said Ukraine fights for European values. He worried that a temporary plan will keep Ukraine waiting for a long time.

Conclusion

Ukraine wants full membership. The EU is careful. Merz's idea is a possible middle way. But Ukraine said no. The future depends on more talks and EU countries agreeing.

Vocabulary Learning

join (v.)
become a member of something加入
Example:Ukraine wants to join the EU.
leader (n.)
a person who leads a group領袖；領導人
Example:The German leader offered a different plan.
meeting (n.)
an event where people come together to discuss會議
Example:The EU meeting was in Cyprus.
temporary (adj.)
lasting for a limited time臨時的
Example:This is a temporary idea.
vote (v.)
to show your choice in an election or meeting投票
Example:Ukraine can come to meetings but cannot vote.

Sentence Learning

On April 24, German leader Friedrich Merz said Ukraine cannot join the European Union (EU) now.
Time Marker: This sentence uses the time marker 'On April 24' to specify when the statement was made.這個句子使用了時間標記『在4月24日』來指明該陳述發生的時間。
Ukraine can come to EU meetings but cannot vote.
Contrast Connector: The word 'but' connects two contrasting ideas: coming to meetings vs. not voting.詞語『但是』連接兩個對比的觀點：參加會議 vs. 不能投票。
Now people think Ukraine can move forward.
Time Marker: The word 'Now' indicates a change from the past to the present situation.詞語『現在』表示從過去到當前情況的變化。
Before the meeting, President Zelensky said no to this idea.
Time Marker - Prepositional Phrase: The phrase 'Before the meeting' provides the time context for Zelensky's rejection.短語『在會議之前』提供了澤連斯基拒絕的時間背景。
He said this after an EU meeting in Cyprus.
Time and Place Prepositional Phrases: This sentence uses 'after an EU meeting' (time) and 'in Cyprus' (place) to give context.這個句子使用了『在歐盟會議之後』（時間）和『在塞浦路斯』（地點）來提供背景。