In brief
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to use his veto over Germany’s proposal to tie approval of the next long-term EU budget to new aid for Ukraine. The dispute concerns how the bloc will finance further support for Kyiv.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of “blackmail” over the proposed budget condition, UNIAN reported, citing Euronews. Fico threatened a veto; the report did not say he had blocked a decision.
Speaking during a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in Bratislava, Fico said Slovakia had the same voting and veto rights as Germany. UNIAN did not specify the date of the meeting.
According to UNIAN, Merz described new assistance for Ukraine as a necessary prerequisite for approving the next EU budget in a letter to European Council President António Costa. Babiš said the draft budget already included funding for Ukraine, but that it would become available later than the new financing was needed.
UNIAN reported that the mechanism for providing the new funding had yet to be determined. The leaders’ statements did not amount to a decision to allocate money.
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