German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned he will block the 2028–34 EU budget unless member states guarantee collective financial aid for Ukraine without exception. The demand has sparked immediate pushback from leaders like Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who refuse to finance an upcoming €45bn European contribution toward Ukraine's budget shortfall. To prevent single-country vetoes from stalling these aid packages, Germany is advocating for a switch to qualified-majority voting. Council President António Costa is pushing for a resolved budget by the end of the year to preempt complications from 2027 European elections.
Key points
Berlin wants to transition Ukraine aid voting rules from unanimity to a qualified majorit…: Berlin wants to transition Ukraine aid voting rules from unanimity to a qualified majority to bypass national vetoes.
Central European net recipients of European Union funds are actively resisting demands to…: Central European net recipients of European Union funds are actively resisting demands to take on future loans for Kyiv.
European Council leadership is targeting a budget agreement by the end of the year before…: European Council leadership is targeting a budget agreement by the end of the year before upcoming 2027 elections create further friction.
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Friedrich Merz has signalled he will block the EU’s seven-year budget unless there is a deal on financial aid for Ukraine, triggering accusations of “typical blackmail” from some other European leaders and setting the stage for stormy talks later this month.
The German chancellor’s intervention has angered leaders in central Europe who are net beneficiaries of EU funds but do not want to take part in an upcoming funding round to support Ukraine’s war effort.
“What the chancellor is doing is typical blackmail, and I will not give in to it,” Slovakia’s Russia-friendly prime minister, Robert Fico, told reporters in Bratislava.
He was speaking alongside his Czech counterpart, Andrej Babiš, whose populist government also rejects taking part in a future loan for Ukraine. “I do not know why he is saying it,” Babiš said, referring to Merz’s position.
Merz wants EU leaders to discuss Ukraine’s financing needs at a summit in Dublin on Friday. “We must continue to support Ukraine in its fight to defend itself. This is in our shared vital interest,” he wrote in a letter, seen by…
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