Germany Threatens to Block EU Budget Unless All Members Back Ukraine Funding
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has told European Council President António Costa in a letter that Berlin will back the EU budget only if all member states agree to extra aid for Ukraine, a newspaper reports.
Germany will vote for the European Union's budget only if all EU member states unanimously approve additional funding for Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz set out the condition in a letter to European Council President António Costa, according to a newspaper report. The demand comes ahead of a summit of European leaders in Dublin, scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
The funding gap
In December, the EU agreed to provide Ukraine with 90 billion euros over the next two years. However, because of the scale of the fighting, a gap of about 70 billion euros has opened in Ukraine's budget, which must be filled by 2027. The EU has already agreed to cover two-thirds of that amount.
Merz's letter, quoted by the newspaper, says the shared commitment of all countries without exception would help fill the gap fairly. He describes this as a necessary condition for resolving the issue and for discussing any further steps, particularly those with financial consequences.
Four countries opt out
The newspaper notes that four European countries — Bulgaria, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary — have indicated they will not take part in further financing for Ukraine. Merz urges finding a way to support Kyiv from 2028 onward that all EU members would back.
Proposed change to decision-making
According to the newspaper, the chancellor would like to change how decisions on Ukraine funding are made, so they could be approved by a simple majority without individual countries holding veto power. That way, future support for Kyiv would not depend on shifts in the political situation in individual member states.
