On Monday 17 March, the EU foreign affairs ministers discussed the proposal put forward by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas for military support for Ukraine of up to €40 billion by 2025, based on the GNI of the participating countries.
“The €40 billion defence initiative enjoys broad political support. Discussions are currently focusing on the details”, explained the High Representative at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council. On Friday, several diplomats explained that a number of points remained unresolved (see EUROPE 13600/8). According to Ms Kallas, “everyone understands that we must show determination for Ukraine to be able to defend itself”.
“This year, Ukraine has sufficient resources to maintain its State and its army, but additional funds are needed. There was general support for an increase in defence funding for Europe and Ukraine”, confirmed Polish Minister Radosław Sikorski.
On his arrival at the EU Council, the Lithuanian minister, Kęstutis Budrys, called for sustained military support for Ukraine, saying that €40 billion was “the minimum”, while his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, said that to achieve a “just and lasting” peace, Ukraine must “continue to enjoy unconditional support” from the EU with “sustainable and predictable” funding. He added that Spain had not needed a proposal from the High Representative to commit €1 billion for this year.
“We have long argued for greater transparency in our support for Ukraine”, said Denmark’s Lars Løkke Rasmussen, suggesting that a fairer distribution key for support would “no doubt be a good thing”. “But the best must not become the worst enemy of the good. The most important thing, therefore, is that we stay the course for Ukraine by providing increased support”, he warned. According to its minister, Denmark is the world’s biggest donor relative to its size, and last autumn was the fourth biggest donor in terms of total amount. Another major donor is Germany, whose minister, Annalena Baerbock, has confirmed military support of €7 billion for this year.
On Saturday, at a virtual meeting organised by the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, European and partner country leaders, the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission and the Secretary General of NATO reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security and “agreed that Ukraine (must) be able to defend itself and deter future Russian aggression”. Military planners will meet again in the UK this week to take forward concrete plans for how participants’ militaries can support Ukraine’s future security.
Support for the truce project. The ministers, like their leaders two days earlier, gave their support to the 30-day truce being discussed between Ukraine and the United States, pointing out that the ball had been in Russia’s court for almost a week and doubting the Kremlin’s goodwill. “It is time to use all our diplomatic tools to convince Russia to accept these peace measures. Unconditionally, as Ukraine has done”, Ukrainian Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed on X, after speaking virtually to his European counterparts.
“Everyone is waiting for Russia to make a commitment and really accept the terms of the ceasefire”, stressed the Finnish minister, Elina Valtonen, adding that the concessions would have to come from Russia and nowhere else. “The conditions that the Russians have presented show that they do not really want peace, because what they are presenting as conditions corresponds to their ultimate objectives, those that they are aiming to achieve through war”, said Kaja Kallas.
On Saturday, European leaders agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must prove that he is serious about peace and sign a ceasefire on an equal footing”. “The Kremlin’s dithering and procrastination over President Trump’s ceasefire proposal, and Russia’s continued barbaric attacks on Ukraine, run totally counter to President Putin’s declared desire for peace”, the statement said. The American and Russian presidents are due to hold telephone talks on Tuesday.
See Saturday’s statement: https://aeur.eu/f/fz6 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)