German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that he will not support the European Union’s seven-year budget for the period 2028-34, unless member states reach agreement on further financing of Ukraine.
His stance has prompted reactions from some European leaders, especially from states that have rejected involvement in future aid packages for Kiev.
Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, has accused Merzin of blackmail, claiming he will not submit to pressure from the German Chancellor.
His reaction came during a media conference in Bratislava, where he was together with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babush. The latter said that he did not understand Merz’s reason for his attitude.
Meanwhile, in a letter to European Council President Antónnio Costa, the German Chancellor has demanded that Ukraine’s financial needs be discussed at the summit of European leaders in Dublin.
Merz has stressed that support for Kiev in the fight against Russia is in the joint interest of member states, but has pointed out that the financial burden has been unevenly distributed and is largely being maintained by a limited number of states.
The European Union had agreed last year on a 90 billion-euro loan to Ukraine, aimed at covering about two-thirds of the country’s military and civilian expenditures for the period 2026-2027. However, continued Russian bombings and increased costs have increased Kiev’s financial needs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded 70 billion euros to cover the budget deficit. The EU has supported this assessment and pledged to provide 45 billion euros, while the rest are expected to be covered by other allies, including the United Kingdom and Canada.
Hungary, Slovakia and Chekhia, which did not participate in the previous 90 billion-euro loan package, have signalled they will not contribute to the next financing either. Bulgaria has joined them after the election of Prime Minister Rumen Radev in April.
The clashes for Ukraine’s financing have already affected negotiations on the future EU budget. Germany, as the biggest net contributor to the European budget, requires considerable cuts in the budgets, while rejecting that states that refuse to help Ukraine financially continue to benefit considerable funds from the European Union.
In his letter, Merz has described the financial commitment of all member states, without exception, as essential conditions for resolving Ukraine’s funding deficit and discussing other issues that have financial consequences.
Berlin also requires that the decision-making for aid to Ukraine be transferred from unanimous voting to qualified majority so that a single government cannot block decisions.
European Council President Antónnio Costa has confirmed that he has accepted the letter and has announced that Ukraine’s financing will be discussed at the informal meeting of leaders in Dublin.
Meanwhile, a special summit for the EU’s future budget is scheduled to be held on 26 November and 27 November. Costa intends that an agreement on this issue be reached by the end of the year.
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Source Layer: Signal