The German chancellor is reportedly demanding that every member state contribute to Kiev’s financing before Berlin approves the bloc’s next seven-year budget
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has threatened to block the EU’s next seven-year budget unless all member states commit to providing more financial aid to Ukraine, several media outlets reported on Monday.
The EU has pledged to cover around €45 billion ($52 billion) of Ukraine’s projected €70 billion ($81 billion) funding shortfall in 2027, as the conflict with Russia approaches its fifth year in February. However, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have signaled opposition to contributing to additional financial assistance for Kiev, while Bulgaria is expected to follow suit.
“Bilateral assistance to Ukraine is distributed unevenly and carried mostly by only a few member states,” Merz wrote in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa, according to Bloomberg. The chancellor reportedly argued that supporting Ukraine was “a matter of our indivisible European security.”
“A collective commitment that all of us, without exception, will contribute fairly to closing this gap is an essential prerequisite for resolving this issue and for discussing any further matters, particularly those with financial implications,” Merz wrote, as cited by Euronews.
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