EU would need to double military aid to Ukraine if US fails to deliver
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The future of military aid from Washington to Kyiv remains highly uncertain, leaving backing from the EU as Ukraine’s only major option in its fight against Russia’s large-scale invasion.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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BRUSSELS – Ukraine would need to receive as much as double the military support from the European Union to bridge the gap if US assistance remains stalled, according to estimates by a German research group.
The future of military aid from Washington remains highly uncertain, leaving backing from the EU as Kyiv’s only major option in its fight against Russia’s large-scale invasion, according to the latest Ukraine Support Tracker database from the Kiel Institute.
The report comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to meet the leaders of Germany and France on Feb 16 amid the funding fight in Washington.
He will also address the Munich Security Conference on Feb 17
The last remaining funds for US military assistance were depleted by the end of 2023.
While the United States Senate this week approved additional funding for Ukraine
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is about to enter a third year, newly pledged military aid amounted to €9.8 billion (S$14.2 billion) between Nov 1 and Jan 15, down from €27 billion in the same period a year ago, which included some €21 billion from the US, according to the research group’s calculations.
Current aid continues to be provided by a few big donors, including Nordic countries, Germany and Britain, while most past backers have promised little or nothing new.
“This is a challenge but, ultimately, a question of political will,” said Dr Christoph Trebesch, research director at the Kiel Institute. “The EU countries are among the richest in the world and so far, they have spent not even 1 per cent of their 2021 gross domestic product to support Ukraine.”
The report also noted “a large gap between promised and actual aid flows” from the EU and its member states. BLOOMBERG
