Poland responds to Merz's ultimatum over EU funding for Ukraine
Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (Getty Images)
Warsaw comments on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's efforts to link the adoption of the EU's new budget to mandatory funding for Ukraine by all member states, reports RMF24.
Merz wants all European Union member states to contribute to covering the costs of another aid package for Ukraine. Next year, Kyiv needs an additional 70 billion euros, of which 45 billion euros would have to be provided directly by the EU.
Irish Finance Minister Simon Harris has expressed a similar position, emphasizing that the two issues are inseparable.
"It is very difficult to seriously discuss Europe's multiannual budget without Ukraine and funding for Ukraine. Any other discussion would be incomplete," the Irish minister said.
Poland's response to pressure from Berlin
Warsaw believes that Merz's pressure is primarily aimed at countries that oppose financial support for Kyiv. This was stated by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki.
"This is a way of putting pressure on those countries that belong to the cohesion group and oppose funding for Ukraine, such as Slovakia or Czechia. The principle is: there will be no multiannual budget unless you agree to some funding for Ukraine. We support funding for Ukraine," he said.
Meanwhile, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary did not participate in the previously agreed 90-billion-euro position on funding for Ukraine and are now saying they intend to seek similar exemptions under future aid mechanisms. Bulgaria is also considering this possibility.
Security and budget concerns in Warsaw
Niemczycki emphasized that Poland consistently supports Ukraine because this directly affects its own security. However, he said these issues should be addressed separately from negotiations on the EU budget.
"Ukraine's bankruptcy would mean a sharp increase in the threat to Poland's security. Therefore, European participation in funding Ukraine is necessary and serves Poland's interests. This issue must be resolved independently of negotiations on the new EU budget," the deputy minister said.
The main problem for Warsaw is that it wants to protect funding for both cohesion policy and agriculture.
Germany and other wealthy countries, meanwhile, are demanding limits on EU spending while also calling for increased expenditures on defense, security, and aid to Ukraine. If contributions to the EU budget do not increase, savings will have to be found precisely in funds for regional development and support for farmers.
Earlier, Merz threatened to block the approval of the EU's next seven-year budget unless all member states agree to support Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said that Ukraine needs at least 70 billion euros from the European Union for defense next year.
