In brief
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for the European Union to fully integrate its policy towards Ukraine into the bloc’s next long‑term budget, insisting that future financial aid must be negotiated as part of the EU budget and that support should be shared across member states. He stressed that Ukraine aid should not be left to individual countries and that at least four members hold differing views. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar echoed the need for careful budget talks, noting that national interests may make consensus difficult.
In a joint press conference in Berlin on November 10, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the European Union to fully incorporate its Ukraine policy into the bloc’s next long‑term budget, insisting that future financial support for Ukraine be negotiated as a part of the EU budget rather than left to individual member states.
Merz said the negotiations on the next long‑term budget are entering a critical stage and that maintaining robust financial aid for Ukraine is a matter of collective European security. He warned that a key condition for reaching a budget agreement is a common understanding among all 27 EU members on how to support Ukraine in the coming years.
One of Merz’s central points was that “supporting Ukraine was a shared responsibility of the EU, rather than that of individual member states.” This view was highlighted by the press conference’s official transcript, according to Xinhua.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who was also present, echoed the need for careful budget discussions. He noted that reaching a consensus among the 27 members would not be easy because each country has its own national interests. Magyar added that Hungary would remain a constructive partner in the negotiations but would not compromise on its national interests, specifically wanting to keep traditional areas like agricultural and cohesion policy funding intact.
