Merz accused of ‘blackmail’ by Slovak PM after demand for Ukraine aid in EU budget

Friedrich Merz has threatened to block the EU's budget unless financial aid for Ukraine is agreed upon, leading to accusations of blackmail from central European leaders. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš criticized Merz's stance, as they oppose contributing to Ukraine's funding. Merz emphasizes the need for collective support for Ukraine, highlighting the uneven distribution of aid among EU states. The EU previously agreed to lend Ukraine €90bn, but additional funding is now required due to escalating costs from the conflict. Negotiations for the EU budget are complicated by differing contributions from member states, with Germany advocating for cuts and a shift to majority voting on Ukraine funding.