As peace negotiations unfold without EU involvement, the bloc prepares a major support package and seeks a role in resolving the conflict.
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| EU Plans €6 Billion Military Aid for Ukraine Amid US-Russia Talks |
On Tuesday, Russian and American officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to improve their relationship and talk about future plans to solve the Ukraine crisis. This meeting made some EU countries upset because the U.S. didn’t ask for their opinion before talking to Russia and didn’t include them in the discussions.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency meeting in Paris. The goal was to make sure the EU had a strong voice in peace efforts, especially since the U.S. and Russia are talking without them. The EU wants to give Ukraine security promises and doesn’t want Ukraine to agree to stop fighting with Russia until there’s a full peace deal.
The EU’s military aid package is expected to include things like 1.5 million artillery shells and air defense systems. This would be one of the biggest help packages the EU has sent to Ukraine since the conflict started in 2022. The announcement might happen before EU leaders visit Ukraine on February 24.
The €6 billion could grow to €10 billion ($10.4 billion) or more as countries check what they can give. EU members can choose to send military equipment or money, depending on how much their country earns.
It’s not clear yet if all EU countries will agree to this plan. Hungary, for example, has been against sending military help to Ukraine in the past, so getting everyone to agree might be hard.
The EU might use this aid package as a way to join the peace talks, since they weren’t invited to the U.S.-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia. Many EU leaders are unhappy that the U.S. is making decisions without them, especially after a U.S. official said the EU wouldn’t be part of the talks.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has also said the EU shouldn’t be part of the negotiations. He thinks the EU might use a ceasefire to send more weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Russian deputy foreign minister said the EU could help end the conflict by stopping its support for Ukraine.
In short, the EU is preparing a big help package for Ukraine while trying to make sure it has a say in peace talks. But not everyone agrees on how to move forward, and the situation is still complicated.