The EU is considering doubling military aid to Ukraine to €40B in 2025, with contributions based on economic weight. A proposal by the EEAS suggests an initial step of providing 2M artillery rounds and using profits from frozen Russian assets to fund aid.
The European Union should be prepared to go as far as doubling its military aid to Ukraine this year to 40 billion euros ($43 billion) if necessary, according to a discussion paper by the bloc's diplomatic service seen by Reuters on Friday.
The paper, an updated version of an earlier proposal which set out Ukraine's requirements but did not name a target figure, also says each EU country participating in the effort should contribute "in line with its economic weight".
With the future of U.S. backing for Ukraine uncertain, EU countries have expressed a broad willingness to continue supporting the country in the war, but diplomats say several states oppose fixed targets.
The paper says the EU gave about 20 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine last year and encourages EU countries to do at least the same again in 2025, with the total "potentially reaching" 40 billion euros, depending on Kyiv's needs.
EU leaders are likely to discuss the proposal by the European External Action Service (EEAS), headed by former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, at a summit next week.
The EEAS "non-paper" - diplomatic jargon for a discussion document rather than a formal proposal - suggests leaders agree as a first step next week to provide 2 million rounds of large-calibre artillery ammunition to Kyiv this year.
It suggests that some of the costs of the plan could come from a scheme that takes windfall profits from Russian assets inside the EU and uses them for the benefit of Ukraine.
The contents of the new proposal were previously reported by Politico late on Thursday evening.
Hungary, whose prime minister Viktor Orban has criticised EU sanctions on Russia and military assistance to Ukraine, said on Friday his country should contribute funds to a common EU defence policy, but not agree to joint EU borrowing for defence.
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Ukraine has received $2 billion in military aid from international partners through the U.S.-backed PURL programme, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday.
The United States has decided to halt some planned deliveries of air defence missiles and other munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns over dwindling American stockpiles, according to officials familiar with the matter.
The Netherlands will deliver a 100 drone-detection radars and 20 medical evacuation vehicles to Ukraine under a new €175 million ($202 million) military aid package, boosting its ongoing support for Kyiv ahead of the NATO summit this week.
Nearly 100 young and middle-aged military officers from over 40 African countries including Egypt, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya have started a 10-day visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of National Defence.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Kazakhstan has evacuated more than 7,300 citizens from the Middle East since regional tensions escalated, using both air and land routes to bring nationals home while closely monitoring political developments and potential economic effects linked to rising oil prices.
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