The move is a welcome boost for Kiev as support from the United States, another major backer, wavers and its outnumbered military struggles to hold off Russia.
European Union countries have agreed to provide 5 billion euros ($5.48 billion) in military aid to Ukraine as part of a revamp of an EU-run aid fund, giving Kiev a timely boost to fight the Russian military invasion. I decided to give the support I received.
After months of wrangling, ambassadors from the EU's 27 member states agreed to review the European Peace Facility (EPF) funds at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, with EU powers France and Germany weighing in on much of the discussion. became the center.
“The message is clear: we will support Ukraine in whatever it takes to win,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on social media platform X after the decision.
The fund operates as a huge cashback scheme, giving EU member states reimbursement for sending munitions to other countries.
France, which strongly promotes the European defense industry, had advocated a strong “European purchase” policy for weapons subject to rebates. Other countries argued that such a requirement would hamper efforts to purchase weapons around the world to quickly deliver them to Ukraine.
Germany, Europe's largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, had demanded that donations be taken into account when determining how much each country should contribute to the fund.
Diplomats ultimately reached a compromise allowing flexibility in the 'Buy Europe' rules and allowing member states to take into account some of the value of bilateral aid when calculating their financial contributions. He said he did.
“This is another strong and timely demonstration of European unity and determination to achieve our common victory,” said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
“We hope that the final decision will be approved at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.”
The final document said the plan should prioritize Europe's defense industry, while “allowing flexibility in exceptional cases where it cannot be delivered in a timely manner consistent with Ukraine's needs.”
Diplomatic officials said the compromise would allow the fund to help finance Czech efforts to buy hundreds of thousands of desperately needed shells from countries outside Europe. .
According to the EU, the EPF has already been used to allocate about 6.1 billion euros ($6.7 billion) to military aid to Ukraine.
Last year, Borrell proposed creating a new cash pot within the EPF specifically for aid to Kyiv, the Ukraine Support Fund, with an annual budget of up to 5 billion euros over the next four years.
This sparked a long debate over future aid rules that ultimately led to Wednesday's agreement.
The compromise included measures to satisfy Hungary, which had previously blocked payments from the EPF and said it did not want to contribute arms funds to Ukraine.
Under the agreement, the contributions would be used to fund military aid to other countries, EU officials said.
“Ukraine needs more arms and equipment. We will provide them in sufficient quantities and in a coordinated manner,” Foreign Minister Haja Rabib of Belgium, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said in a statement. .
“Europe is true to its promises. Our freedoms are at stake.”
The latest funding announcement for Ukraine comes as Kiev's military is under pressure on the front lines as it faces ammunition shortages.
The United States announced a new $300 million arms package for Ukraine on Tuesday, but another $60 billion in funding remains blocked by Republicans in Congress.
There are growing warnings in Europe that failure to maintain support for Kiev could ultimately lead to its defeat and an emboldened Kremlin to attack other countries.
The EU is increasing the production of weapons and ammunition by its defense industry, but two years after the start of the war, it is still struggling to increase production.
The alliance is expected to fall far short of its promise made a year ago to deliver 1 million shells to Ukraine by this month.
Meanwhile, Russia has ramped up arms production by putting its economy on a war footing, receiving large shipments of arms from Iran and North Korea.