BRUSSELS: The European Union has asked its member states to give Ukraine up to 40 billion euros of arms this year.
US President Donald Trump caused a stir in Kyiv and among its European supporters by briefly suspending Washington’s military aid to Ukraine following a dispute with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The proposal from EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas aims to encourage countries within the bloc to “accelerate and focus” on addressing Kyiv’s most urgent needs as its forces continue to battle against Russia.
“Participating states are encouraged to deliver military support to Ukraine in 2025 with a provisional value of at least EUR 20 billion, and potentially reaching EUR 40 billion pending Ukrainian needs,” the document says.
According to the proposal, the EU members should contribute keeping in view their “economic weight” and part of the plan would involve giving Ukraine two million artillery shells in 2025, worth five billion euros.
The document said just under two billion euros of the total would also come from EU funds tapping profits from Russian-frozen assets previously pledged to Ukraine.
Diplomats have said that the plan faces opposition from France, Italy and Spain, which have been accused of pushing below their weight on military aid for Ukraine.
They stated that the plan could bypass a blockage from Hungary – Russia’s closest ally in the EU – by opening it up only to countries willing to participate, though discussions are still ongoing.
Officials said the plan could be opened to countries outside the bloc such as Britain and Norway.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday are expected to discuss the proposal ahead of a summit by leaders later in the week.
Europe is looking to enhance its support for Ukraine, with fears that Trump could force Kyiv to accept an unfavourable peace deal to end its war with Russia.
Washington restored its aid to Ukraine this week after Kyiv agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
