Between Air Raid Sirens and Europe’s Waiting Room - Zelensky Warns of a New Attack and Rejects Germany’s Proposal

Two developments are currently colliding in Kyiv that could hardly appear more different and yet are closely connected. While new warnings about a possible large scale Russian attack are spreading through Ukraine, a new dispute is simultaneously emerging over the country's political path toward Europe. Both touch on the same question: how far does support extend for a country that has been fighting a war for years while also struggling for its future?

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that, according to information from Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is preparing a combined attack on Ukraine. Various weapons systems are expected to be used, including the Oreshnik intermediate range missile. Zelensky cited not only intelligence from Kyiv but also information from American and European partners. He urged the population to take air raid warnings seriously and to use shelters. According to his words, the Russian leadership has shown that it recognizes no limits when it comes to the destruction of human lives. At the same time, he announced that Ukraine would strengthen its air defenses as much as possible and respond to every Russian attack.

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv later also warned about the possibility of a major air attack within the next 24 hours. There was initially no official reaction in Moscow to the statements from Kyiv. The timing comes during an already highly tense situation. Just one day earlier, Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainian military of attacking buildings belonging to a teachers college in Starobilsk in the annexed Luhansk region. According to Russian claims, at least 18 people were killed. Published lists indicated that most were students between 19 and 21 years old. Putin described it as a terrorist attack and said the Defense Ministry should consider a response.

The Oreshnik missile first appeared on a larger scale in late 2024 when Russia used it during an attack on Dnipro. One year later, Moscow stated that the system had entered regular deployment in Belarus. In early 2026, Russia reported another use against the Lviv region. At the time, the Defense Ministry described the strike as a response to an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Putin's residence in the Novgorod region.

Almost simultaneously, Zelensky openly clashed with European partners on another issue. The Ukrainian president criticized a proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that would give Kyiv a special intermediate status within the European Union. The idea would allow Ukrainian representatives to participate in EU meetings, but without voting rights. According to Merz's concept, such a step could help support negotiations aimed at ending the war while also creating security guarantees and gradual access to EU funding. Zelensky firmly rejected the approach. In a letter to European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, he stated that membership without voting rights would not be fair. Ukraine, in his view, is defending Europe fully, not only partially. Therefore, the country deserves equal rights and a full perspective within the European Union.

The debate is gaining additional significance because political changes are beginning to emerge in Hungary. Viktor Orbán's government had long blocked Ukraine's path toward the European Union. Peter Magyar of the victorious Tisza Party, however, made clear that even under new political leadership, accelerated membership should not be expected. He described it as unrealistic to admit a country at war into the European Union because even standard accession negotiations could hardly be completed under such conditions. Should concrete negotiations ever begin, Magyar announced that Hungary would hold a public referendum.

In Brussels, Germany's proposal is currently being viewed cautiously. Such a status does not presently exist. Introducing it would likely require changes to existing treaties. In addition, many European politicians already view Ukraine's full membership in the coming years as difficult to achieve because it would require approval from all member states. Between air raid sirens over Kyiv and negotiations in Europe, a condition continues to grow and expand. Ukraine continues fighting on the front lines, while at the same time waiting for political decisions and trying to secure its place in Europe. The question is no longer simply when this war will end. It is also what will remain afterward and who is actually willing to fulfill the promises that have been made.