German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking in the Bundestag, sharply criticized Hungary’s position and that of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself, who has been blocking a major €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine for several months.
Merz directly called on the European Union not to allow one country to blackmail the entire bloc over domestic political calculations and the election campaign in Hungary.
“We must not pay attention to even one single country in the European Union that is currently creating this blockade in Europe for domestic political reasons and because of the ongoing election campaign,” Merz said, addressing members of parliament ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels.
The Chancellor emphasized that Europe, together with the United States, must now increase pressure on Moscow rather than allow individual states to hinder critical support for Ukraine. He stated that €60 billion from the package is earmarked directly for Kyiv’s defense needs—at a time when the Ukrainian budget could face a severe military shortfall as early as May.
Merz’s position has received support from several European leaders. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul previously called Hungary’s veto “unacceptable.” Discussions in Brussels are intensifying on the possibility of using the enhanced cooperation mechanism, which would allow for bypassing the unanimous requirement and allocating aid without the participation of Hungary and, possibly, Slovakia.
Following Merz’s remarks, many European media outlets noted the chancellor’s harsh tone toward Orbán—one of Berlin’s harshest public statements toward Budapest in recent months. The issue of the €90 billion loan and the 20th round of sanctions against Russia will be a central focus at the EU summit on March 19–20.