According to the plan, Ukraine could then participate in EU summits and benefit from parts of the EU budget through the bloc's mutual assistance clause.
The proposal is set out in a letter seen by AFP, from Merz to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa.
"It is clear that we will not be able to complete the accession process any time soon, given the countless obstacles as well as the political complexity of the ratification processes," Merz writes.
"What I envision is a political solution that immediately brings Ukraine significantly closer to the European Union and its central institutions."
