Merz Says EU €90 Billion Loan for Kyiv Should Be Disbursed Now

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a European Union €90 billion ($106 billion) loan for Ukraine must be disbursed rapidly after an electoral defeat for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban eliminated a major roadblock to the funding.

Merz spoke after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, with the two leaders bolstering cooperation on air defense and drone production. The chancellor reinforced his support for Ukraine’s EU accession, rejecting any “second class” membership — though the process is likely to take a long time.