German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says Germany may block approval of the EU’s next seven-year budget unless every member state commits to financing Ukraine’s needs. Multiple outlets report that the condition is tied to Ukraine facing a large funding gap next year, with figures cited as €70 billion, and that the demand requires broad or unanimous agreement across the EU.

The reports also describe how Merz frames the link between Ukraine support and European security. Euronews says Merz positions the issue as “indivisible European security” and points to an added figure of €45 billion for Kyiv. Other outlets present the same basic threat—using the EU budget negotiation as leverage—while emphasizing differing details about the amount, timing, and the requirement that commitments be agreed across the bloc.

Across coverage, the focus stays on the ultimatum and its implications for the EU budget talks. Some outlets stress the veto threat directly, while others emphasize the broader negotiation context and the difficulty of securing agreement among governments that may be reluctant to contribute further to Ukraine-related funding.