EU plans €20B military aid package for Ukraine amid tensions
The European Union is preparing an additional military aid package for Ukraine worth approximately €20 billion, according to Bloomberg.
The initiative aims to supply artillery ammunition, air defense systems, high-precision attack missiles, drones, and other weaponry. It also seeks to strengthen Ukrainian military brigades.
The EU plans to rally support for this initiative next week during a meeting of foreign ministers from member states.
Subsequently, EU leaders are expected to approve the financial details and finalize the agreement.
However, the timeline could be pushed back, as Hungary has stated it will oppose any new military aid for Ukraine, while Germany is awaiting the outcome of this weekend’s elections.
The EU is rushing to draft new support plans for Ukraine, provide security guarantees in the event of a US-Russia peace deal, and increase its own defense spending—especially as former US President Donald Trump has been aligning more closely with Moscow.
US and Russian officials held talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, while Trump suggested he wants a swift agreement to end the conflict. This week, he startled allies by seemingly implying that Kyiv bore responsibility for the war and questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—a claim often echoed in Russian propaganda—by calling for elections in Ukraine.
At present, Ukraine cannot hold elections due to martial law imposed since the invasion. It is common for warring nations to suspend elections—Britain, for example, did not hold votes between 1935 and 1945.
This week, French President Emmanuel Macron convened groups of EU countries and other allies to formulate a response after US officials at last week’s Munich Security Conference made it clear that US support has its limits.
Separately, France is working with the UK on plans to establish a European-led “reassurance force” for Ukraine, ensuring Russia does not launch another attack if a truce is negotiated. Both Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to visit the US this week for talks with Trump.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
