In brief
At a press conference with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged the European Union to embed its Ukraine policy within the bloc’s next long‑term budget. Merz said the step is essential to maintain collective European security and prevent a shift of responsibility to individual member states. Hungarian Prime Minister Magyar echoed the need for careful budget talks, noting the difficulty of reaching consensus among 27 member states.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Tuesday for the European Union to fully integrate its Ukraine policy into the bloc’s next long‑term budget, saying future financial support for Kyiv must be part of the budget negotiations. Merz delivered the remarks at a joint press conference in Berlin with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar.
Merz said the EU “must not reduce its financial support for Ukraine” and described such aid as a matter of collective European security. He added that a common understanding among EU members on how to support Ukraine over the coming years is a key condition for reaching a budget agreement.
Merz stressed that “supporting Ukraine is a shared responsibility of the EU, rather than that of individual member states.” He acknowledged that at least four member states hold different views on the topic.
Hungarian Prime Minister Magyar echoed the need for careful budget talks, noting the difficulty of reaching consensus among 27 EU members. He said Hungary believed that funding for traditional areas, including agricultural and cohesion policies, should not be reduced, and that changes were also needed to member states’ contributions.
Magyar added that the current budget proposal still required changes and that Hungary would remain a constructive partner in the negotiations, although it would not compromise on its national interests.
