Merz ties EU budget deal to additional Ukraine aid

Summary

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has threatened to withhold German agreement on the EU's next budget unless the bloc can unanimously agree on additional financial support for Kyiv. Euronews reports that he ties the budget deal to approving an additional €45 billion for Ukraine, and in a letter to Council President Antonio Costa he said: "Supporting Ukraine is a matter of our indivisible European security."

Timeline

1. FT

   9 Nov 2026, 14:09 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that Chancellor Friedrich Merz threatens to withhold agreement on the EU's next budget unless the bloc can unanimously agree on additional financial support for Kyiv.

2. Euronews

   9 Nov 2026, 16:31 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that Merz ties the EU budget deal to approving an additional €45 billion for Kyiv, quoting his letter to Council President Antonio Costa: "Supporting Ukraine is a matter of our indivisible European security."