🇩🇪 Friedrich Merz
Merz says all EU countries must contribute to 335 billion kroner Ukraine bill
What happened
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sent a letter to European Council President António Costa, stating that all EU countries must make a fair contribution to the 335 billion kroner bill for the Ukraine war. Merz linked the issue to the negotiations over the bloc's next long-term budget. The letter was seen by German news agency dpa. Merz asked Costa to make the issue a priority at the informal EU summit in Dublin.
Why it matters
The call for contributions to the Ukraine war fund has sparked disagreements among EU countries, with some countries seeking spending restraint and others wanting to protect EU regional aid. The issue is particularly relevant as EU leaders prepare for three summits before Christmas to conclude with an agreement on the next long-term budget.
Key facts
- Germany is one of Ukraine's largest financial supporters
- The Alternative for Germany party, known as the AfD, wants a halt to support for Ukraine
- 17 EU countries want to protect EU regional aid
- Germany, Denmark, and Sweden are among six countries seeking spending restraint
- Only 24 of the 27 EU countries agreed to take financial responsibility for a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine last year.
Official statement
“A joint commitment that we all, without exception, will make a fair contribution to offset this difference is a crucial prerequisite for resolving this problem and for discussing any further issues, especially those with financial consequences,”
🇩🇪 Friedrich Merz · Full statement & source
Topics
Publisher evidence used
Reporting attributed to cphpost.dk. WorldLeadersNews links readers to the publisher and does not present a headline-only item as a full article analysis.
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