German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reportedly tied Berlin’s support for the EU’s next seven-year budget to every member state contributing to Ukraine’s financing. The move raises the political cost of opting out, but it does not turn the EU’s stated €45 billion target into approved money.
Ukrinform and Ukrainska Pravda, both citing the Financial Times, report that Merz made the link in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa. He argued that every EU country should make a fair contribution to covering Ukraine’s funding needs before other budget questions with financial consequences move forward. The pressure point is the 2028–2034 EU budget, where Germany’s position as the largest net contributor gives Berlin substantial leverage.
The immediate figures explain why the dispute matters. The reports say Ukraine expects a €70 billion financing gap in 2027 and that the EU has committed to cover about two-thirds, or roughly €45 billion. But the European Commission is still considering ways to deliver that support, including additional common borrowing. Merz’s condition therefore changes the bargaining environment; it does not settle the funding instrument, national contributions or disbursement timetable.
That is the strength of his approach. Ukraine’s long-term financing would remain vulnerable if it were repeatedly treated as a separate exception in wider budget bargaining. By connecting the two files, Berlin is seeking to make collective responsibility part of the next EU budget framework rather than a recurring ad hoc negotiation.
The strongest obstacle is also clear. Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Czechia have reportedly signalled reluctance to contribute further financial assistance to Kyiv. The supplied reporting contains no response from those governments to Merz’s position. Their agreement, the financing mechanism and the timing of money remain subject to negotiation. The informal EU leaders’ meeting in Dublin on 13 November is the next political test of whether Germany’s leverage can produce a shared arrangement.
Sources
- Укрінформ · Source date: 2026-11-09
- Українська правда · Source date: 2026-11-09
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-09
EU’s €45bn Ukraine funding target for 2027: A serious plan, not yet a funding deal