Germany’s Merz complains about unfair burden sharing, calls EU to prioritize new Ukraine loan

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged EU leaders to make a new loan for Ukraine a priority, bringing forward talks on how to cover its 2027 funding gap. His letter says supporting Ukraine is a shared European responsibility, while arguing that bilateral aid is unevenly distributed among member states.

Merz cited a €70 billion shortfall for Ukraine in 2027, with €45 billion expected to fall to the EU. The issue could take time at meetings planned for 13 and 26-27 November, including discussions originally focused on AI, peace talks and the EU’s 2028-2034 budget. Although reports said Merz might block the budget until Ukraine’s funding is resolved, his letter contains no ultimatum; diplomats say the current focus is a new loan, after a previous proposal to use €200 billion in frozen Russian assets failed.