"It is the perfect strategy": Latvian PM backs German chancellor's ultimatum on aid to Ukraine

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has called German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's demand to make approval of the EU's seven-year budget conditional on all member states providing financial support to Ukraine "the perfect strategy".

Kulbergs was asked whether Merz's ultimatum over the EU's seven-year budget could persuade Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia and Bulgaria to agree to provide financial support to Ukraine.

"I think it is the perfect strategy. We already do that. Baltics do 0.25% from our budget [to help Ukraine – ed.]. We do that every year and we would do more if we could. But every country should support, because that's all about Europe's security. Europe's security is what happens in Ukraine," Kulbergs said ahead of the European Political Community summit in Dublin.

Kulbergs added that some countries' stance of not supporting Ukraine is not in line with the generally accepted approach to European security.

"If somebody wants to achieve the budget but does not want to participate in Ukraine, and there are only a couple of countries doing that, that is not a common approach for European security," the Latvian prime minister said.

In a letter to European Council President António Costa, Merz made Germany's support for the EU budget for 2028-2034 conditional on all EU countries agreeing to fund Ukraine, which faces a €70 billion shortfall in 2027.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico responded by calling Merz's letter "blackmail".

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar also criticised the chancellor's proposal, saying this is not the right approach.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that an agreement on future funding for Ukraine could not be a precondition for approving the EU's next seven-year budget.