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Kathmandu. The European Union (EU) is pressing its member states to pledge up to 40 billion euros in arms to Ukraine this year. US President Donald Trump briefly suspended Washington’s military aid to Ukraine after a row with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, angering Kiev and its European backers.
The proposal by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kalas seeks to get countries in the bloc to “accelerate and focus” on meeting the most pressing needs of Kiev’s forces fighting Russia. “Participating countries are encouraged to provide Ukraine with military support estimated at at least 20 billion euros by 2025, and potentially up to 40 billion euros depending on Ukrainian needs,” the document says.
The proposal states that “countries should contribute according to their ‘financial weight’ and as part of the plan, Ukraine will receive 2 million artillery pieces worth 5 billion euros by 2025.” The document says that less than 2 billion euros of the total amount will come from the use of profits from frozen Russian assets and from European funds already committed to Ukraine. Diplomats say the plan will face opposition from major economies such as France, Italy and Spain.
Those countries have been accused of under-spending on aid to Ukraine. They say the plan could create obstacles by opening the scheme only to countries willing to join, including Hungary, Russia’s closest ally in the EU. But discussions are ongoing. Officials have said the scheme could be opened to countries outside the bloc, such as Britain and Norway.
The proposal is expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, ahead of a summit of leaders later in the week. EU leaders gave their initial approval for further work on the scheme at a meeting earlier this month. Europe is seeking to increase its support for Ukraine, fearing that Trump could force Kiev to accept a hostile peace deal to end Russia’s offensive.
Washington resumed aid to Ukraine this week after Kiev agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, but Moscow has so far refused to sign on to the initiative. Exhausted Ukrainian forces are currently being pushed back on the front line and Russia is close to retaking the Kursk region, which Kiev seized last year.
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