Merz Warns EU: Germany Will Block Seven-Year Budget Talks Unless All Member States Commit to Funding Ukraine
BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned in a letter to European Council President António Costa that Germany will block negotiations on the European Union's 2028-2034 seven-year budget unless every member state commits to funding Ukraine. The letter, dated November 6 and also sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was reported by the Financial Times and Bloomberg on November 9.
Ukraine faces a financing gap of about €70 billion in 2027. The EU approved a €90 billion loan this spring and has pledged to cover roughly two-thirds of the new gap, about €45 billion. But Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have said they will not provide further financial assistance to Kyiv; Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia had already secured opt-outs from the €90 billion loan.
'A collective commitment, whereby all of us without exception will contribute fairly to covering Ukraine's funding gap, is an essential condition for resolving this issue and for discussing any other matters, especially those with financial implications,' Merz wrote. He asked that Ukraine financing be put on the agenda of this week's informal EU summit in Dublin. A spokesperson for Costa said time would be made for interventions on Ukraine in Dublin, and that Ukraine financing is also on the agenda of the special European Council on November 26-27.
Germany is the EU budget's largest net contributor, while the four holdout states are net beneficiaries. Reporting on the letter said Merz's move aims to lock in rolling, multi-year financing for Ukraine so that it cannot be undone if governments opposed to further support win national elections next year.
(Source: Financial Times)
Source: Financial Times
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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