FOUR COUNTRIES PUSH BACK AS MERZ DEMANDS SHARED SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia and Bulgaria are pushing back against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s demand that every EU member help finance Ukraine before Germany approves the bloc’s next seven-year budget.
Ukraine faces a projected €70 billion funding shortfall in 2027, with the European Union expected to cover roughly €45 billion. Merz’s position is simple: Germany and the countries consistently supporting Ukraine should not be expected to carry the burden indefinitely while others benefit from the EU budget but refuse to contribute.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called the proposal “blackmail” and threatened to use Slovakia’s veto, declaring that his country is sovereign and has its own views. That is true—but Germany is sovereign as well, possesses the same veto and remains the EU’s largest financial contributor.
This exposes the growing divide between national politics and Europe’s collective security. Every government has its own interests, but Russia’s war does not affect Ukraine alone. Its consequences reach across the entire continent.
The four countries also do not have identical records. Hungary and Fico’s Slovakia have repeatedly obstructed support for Ukraine. Czechia was previously among Ukraine’s strongest supporters, while Bulgaria supplied substantial military assistance despite deep political divisions at home. Their current governments, however, are now resisting additional contributions.
Sovereignty gives these governments the right to say no. It also gives Germany the right to respond: countries cannot demand European solidarity when receiving EU funding while refusing to share responsibility when Europe’s security is under attack.