Bloc have put France and Italy even for a € 5 billion support package to Ukraineon the part of her European Union.
According to Bloomberg, an attempt by leaders of the European Union to grant 5 billion euros to secure Ukraine ammunition this year was prevented by France and Italy, European diplomats said. This is another sign of the challenges facing the bloc to replace American support for Kiev.
It is noted that the threatening fiasco of the meeting in relation to the payment of a new support package in Ukraine is only a day after the presentation of an ambitious re -equipment program (Rearm Europe) with 800 billion. euro.
While most of the 27 Member States meet in Brussels today (20.3.25) have rally around the provision of critical funding for military assistance, France and Italy are stuck in the commitment of specific financial volumes, diplomats told Bloomberg. It is recalled that the proposal that had fallen in the past was 20 billion euros, then up to 40 billion euros and now the payment of even 5 billion euros is “played”.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, speaking at the leaders’ summit via video link, urged an urgent appeal to the amount of “as soon as possible” ammunition, referring to a massive nighttime attack on unmanned aircraft.
“It is vital that your support for Ukraine should not be reduced, but on the contrary to continue and increase,” Zelenski said, according to the speech text. “And this is especially true for our air defense, military assistance and overall durability.”
With US President Donald Trump pushing for a ceasefire, President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that he wants to stop weapons deliveries to Ukraine in any wider agreement, which further complicates the EU’s attempt to strengthen Kiev.