Costa sets separate EU summit on Ukraine’s 2027 funding after Merz warning

European Council President António Costa plans to focus on Ukraine at an informal EU summit in Dublin on November 13, following a letter from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. At a separate summit on November 26-27, EU leaders will discuss Ukraine's financial requirements for 2027, as reported by European Pravda on November 11. Costa decided to hold this additional summit due to recent developments and at the request of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who previously advocated for the EU to determine which entity would represent it in peace negotiations.

The agenda for the Dublin summit will consist of two main topics: the EU's next multiannual financial framework and Ukraine's financial needs for 2027. Costa stated that the European Commission will prepare its proposal for supporting Ukraine by this date. According to the Financial Times, Merz threatened to obstruct approval of the EU's next seven-year budget for 2028-2034 unless all member states agreed to financially support Ukraine in 2027 and beyond.

This letter prompted criticism from Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accusing Germany of blackmail. Merz emphasized that supporting Ukraine is a "shared European task," asserting that Germany, being the largest contributor to the EU budget and Kyiv's largest donor, aims to address this fundamental issue together with all its partners.