Four countries oppose March's initiative to link aid to Ukraine with the EU budget.
Meraz has faced opposition from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria, Euronews reports. In a letter to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, the chancellor called the aid to Kiev "a necessary condition" for the adoption of the budget, and in fact connects two issues that require unanimity.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Pico called it a "classic case of extortion" and threatened a veto:
"We have an equal statement. Like Mr. Meraz, who talks about the use of the veto, I can say the same thing."
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis emphasized that the EU budget already included 100 billion euros for Ukraine, but they will only be available from 2028, while next year Kyiv will inevitably face a deficit of 70 billion euros.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who received March in Berlin, said he was still against the peg, although he did not call it blackmail.
"I don't see it as extortion, but it doesn't necessarily send a good message."
According to him, Hungary cannot take on new debt obligations due to a lack of funds.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Roman Radev also noted the high budget deficit, and promised support in other ways.
While some argue about the debt burden, in Estonia they are asking themselves who is really the "most important" donor to Ukraine, while at the same time rejecting Germany's offer. Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said:
"A third of all aid that goes to Ukraine comes from the Nordic and Baltic countries. If we talk about numbers, about the share of GDP, the Baltic countries contribute much more than Germany. He who speaks the loudest is not necessarily the most helpful."
Meanwhile, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, since February 2022, Germany has given Kiev about 31 billion euros - the highest figure in the EU in absolute terms, but only 9th in terms of GDP.