Five European government leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, called on their European colleagues in an open letter in the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday to “redouble their efforts” to provide more military support for Ukraine.
LOOK. Orbán does not want an extra 50 billion euros for Ukraine
“We must redouble our efforts to guarantee our support for as long as it is needed,” write Olaf Scholz, Mette Frederiksen (Denmark), Petr Fiala (Czech Republic), Kaja Kallas (Estonia) and Mark Rutte (Netherlands). “Ukraine does not have sufficient artillery. And the commitments regarding military support are in danger of not meeting the needs,” it said.
That is why the five heads of government “call on Ukraine’s friends and allies to recommit to long-term, sustainable military support. This in the context of a common responsibility for Europe.”
Difficult European Council on Thursday
Tomorrow, the 27 heads of state and government will meet at a European summit devoted to financial support for Kiev. Difficult negotiations will be on the menu at the European Council with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who vetoed a 50 billion euro tranche of aid to Ukraine in December. Military support for Kiev is also on the agenda.
To accommodate Orbán, EU leaders propose to annually debate the 50 million euros in aid to Ukraine. The Reuters news agency writes this based on a leaked document. The large sum of money is intended to support the country for the period 2024-2027, but Hungary wants to be able to revise it annually with the right of veto. Other EU member states are against that plan.
“At the beginning of 2023, the European Union committed to delivering 1 million shells to Ukraine by the end of March 2024. The harsh reality is that we have not achieved this objective,” the open letter continues in ‘Financial Times’. “What is urgent now is to send the ammunition and weapon systems that Ukraine needs to the field.”
The European Summit starts on Thursday at 10 am.
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