Ukraine: EU Proposes €5B in Military Aid After 'Historic' Meeting

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Facts

  • Ukraine is set to receive an additional €5B ($5.24B) in military aid from the EU, the bloc's high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell said on Monday.1
  • The announcement came amid an EU foreign ministers' meeting in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Outside of talks at the UN, it was the first time that they had gathered outside the bloc's 27 countries or within a war zone, Borrell said, describing the meeting as 'historic.'1
  • Borrell also sought to dispel notions that EU support for Ukraine had diminished — namely after the election of a pro-Russia government in Slovakia and amid Poland's dispute with Ukraine over grain.2
  • 'The EU remains united in its support to Ukraine,' Borrell said. 'I don’t see any member state folding on their engagement.' Aside from the military aid, Borrell reiterated an EU target to train 40K Ukrainian troops and discussed potential plans for EU arms firms to create joint ventures with counterparts in Ukraine.3
  • Talks also focused on Ukraine's 10-point peace plan as well as Ukraine's ambitions of EU membership, reliant on a set of reforms Ukraine needs to make. The EU will publish its first formal report on Ukraine's progress of these reforms in November.1
  • In his nightly address on Monday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a key goal of the country was to start the negotiations on EU membership this year. He said, 'Ukraine will definitely fulfill its part of the work — the seven recommendations of the European Commission. And it is very important that on the part of the European Union, all its member states, there is a similar readiness for a political decision on Ukraine, on beginning negotiations.'4

Sources: 1Guardian, 2Washington Post, 3Associated Press and 4President.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Associated press. The additional military aid for Ukraine is a clear message from the EU that it will continue to support the country in the face of its struggle against Russia. Although minor cracks have shown, Europe understands that its security lies in Ukraine defeating Russia on the battlefield.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Washington Post. Despite the EU's affirmations, it's clear that Western support for Ukraine is slipping — underlined by events in the US where Ukraine aid was dropped in order to avoid a government shutdown. As next year's US election approaches, it is apparent that the cracks in the West's support of Ukraine are only going to deepen.

Predictions