The 4.6 billion payment comes as the bloc continues to pour money into Ukraine and boost military spending

The EU is set to use a multibillion-euro antitrust fine imposed on Google to help ease pressure on the bloc's budget after years of increased military spending and aid for Ukraine.

The US tech giant has paid €4.6 billion ($5.4 billion), including interest, after losing a years-long legal battle over restrictions linked to its Android operating system. The sum is equivalent to more than 2% of the EU's 2026 budget.

The European Commission imposed the fine in 2018, accusing Google of abusing Android's market dominance by requiring smartphone makers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome. Earlier this month, the EU's top court upheld the penalty, clearing the way for the payment.

Under EU budget rules, fines collected by the commission are paid into the bloc's common budget, reducing the gross national income-based contributions required from member states.

The windfall will not provide any direct relief for taxpayers, however, as European governments continue to scale back social spending while increasing military budgets and financing Ukraine.

The EU deficit is projected to reach 3.6% of GDP by 2027. Despite the fiscal strain, Brussels has approved a €90 billion Ukraine support loan for 2026-2027, even as Kiev remains embroiled in repeated corruption scandals involving senior officials and figures close to Vladimir Zelensky. NATO members have also pledged €70 billion in military aid, training, and equipment for Ukraine this year, with plans to maintain similar support in 2027.

At the same time, European governments have been urged to sharply increase military spending, with Brussels citing an alleged Russian threat to justify its rearmament drive. Moscow has dismissed the claims as "nonsense" designed to legitimize ballooning military budgets at the expense of social programs.

The shift is already visible in national budgets. France, for example, has cut around €9 billion from several ministries while allocating an additional €6.5 billion to the military.

Critics in several EU countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, argue that Brussels is shifting the cost of its unconditional backing for a corruption-plagued Ukraine onto ordinary Europeans.

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called the EU's Ukraine policy a "financial tragedy," while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has labeled plans to phase out Russian energy "economic suicide" and vowed to oppose further military loans for Kiev.

(RT.com)