Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “blackmail” after Berlin moved to link agreement on the European Union’s next long-term budget to a joint commitment by all member states to finance Ukraine. The unusually sharp exchange has exposed a deepening divide inside the bloc over how to pay for Kyiv’s war effort, just days before EU leaders meet in Dublin.
FAKTA
- What happened: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “blackmail” on Tuesday, 10 November, for tying Ukraine funding to talks on the EU’s next seven-year budget.
- The trigger: In a letter to European Council President António Costa, Merz said a collective commitment by all 27 member states to help close Ukraine’s funding gap was a prerequisite for discussing other matters, above all those with financial implications.
- The figures: Ukraine faces a funding gap of about €70 billion in 2027, of which the EU is expected to provide around €45 billion.
- The background: Last December the EU agreed a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary chose not to take part.
- What is next: Merz has asked for the issue to be put on the agenda of the EU leaders’ meeting in Dublin on Friday.
Fico, Merz and the Ukraine funding row
Merz’s letter, first reported by the Financial Times and seen by Reuters, argues that every EU country must contribute to Ukraine’s defence as it resists Russia’s invasion. Germany is the largest net contributor to the EU budget, and the chancellor’s message made Berlin’s position plain: no shared commitment to Kyiv’s 2027 needs, no progress on the wider budget. Merz has rejected the charge of blackmail, saying he does not see his demand in those terms.
A divided bloc
Fico pushed back firmly, telling reporters: “We must respond to blackmail,” and reminding EU leaders that Slovakia holds the same veto power as Germany. The Slovak prime minister has long opposed military aid to Ukraine and has kept cordial relations with Moscow, even as most EU leaders have isolated Russia since its 2022 invasion.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, visiting Bratislava on Tuesday, stood alongside Fico and warned that blocking the budget would also block money earmarked for Ukraine. Hungary has also signalled resistance to further funding. The dispute centres on the EU’s next seven-year budget, which runs from 2028 and is meant to cover defence, competitiveness, farming and regional development across the 27 member states.
What happens next
With the Dublin summit approaching, the row raises the stakes for a meeting that was already expected to be difficult. Merz wants Ukraine’s funding shortfall on the agenda, while Fico and his allies argue that linking the two questions makes agreement harder. Whether the bloc can bridge the gap before its current arrangements run out will shape not only Ukraine’s finances in 2027 but also the EU’s ability to agree on its spending priorities for the years ahead.
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