Germany threatens to block EU budget over Ukraine aid agreement

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is threatening to block the European Union's next long-term budget unless every member state commits to financing Ukraine beyond 2027, Euronews, Bloomberg, and the Kyiv Post reported. Meduza reported that Merz warned he would block the Multiannual Financial Framework unless four specific holdout countries, including Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, agree to fund Ukraine. [1][4][5][6]

The Kyiv Independent reported that Merz complained about unfair burden sharing among European partners and urged the European Union to prioritize a new Ukraine loan. Yahoo also reported that the German chancellor wants financial assistance for Ukraine moved up on the agenda for the upcoming EU summit, while UNITED24 Media reported that Merz is using the budget negotiations to secure long-term funding for Ukraine. [2][3][7]

Friedrich Merz has served as Chancellor of Germany since May 2025 and has led the Christian Democratic Union since January 2022. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the European Commission recently reopened 21.3 billion euros in unspent defence loans to support Ukraine, which faces an estimated budget gap of 70 billion euros. [8][10]

Euronews reported that Germany wants European governments to agree on a durable funding arrangement to support Ukraine beyond 2027. However, the outlet noted that Germany's position risks opening a new front in the already difficult negotiations over the future long-term budget of the European Union. [1]