EU preparing €6B military aid package for Ukraine – Politico
The European Union member states are preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth at least €6 billion ($6.2 million) as they seek to strengthen Kyiv's strategic position ahead of US-led negotiations with Russia, Politico reported, citing three anonymous EU diplomats.
This new aid package—expected to include "everything from 1.5 million artillery shells to air defense systems"—will be one of the largest military support packages the EU has provided since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The new package could be unveiled ahead of a symbolic visit by European commissioners to Kyiv on February 24, the report says.
Two anonymous diplomats stated that the €6 billion package is just a starting point and could increase to €10 billion or more as countries assess their stockpiles to determine what they can send to Ukraine. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the aid package at their upcoming meeting in Brussels next week.
Countries can contribute either with military supplies or financial resources, with financial contributions being proportional to their gross national income, one diplomat noted.
"A major military aid package would provide a tangible display of the EU's resolve to back Ukraine after an emergency gathering of leaders in Paris on Monday failed to deliver concrete decisions. The EU has been sidelined from talks between the United States and Russia to end the war, causing consternation in EU capitals as well as in Kyiv," Politico wrote.
Additionally, the package could bolster the EU's argument for inclusion in peace negotiations.
It remains unclear whether the EU will approve the package as a whole or if it will be supported by a coalition of willing countries. One diplomat noted that unanimous approval is unlikely due to opposition from Hungary.
