The EU is working on providing Ukraine with 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) for ammunition, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on March 20, as a much larger 40-billion-euro ($43 billion) package still lacks consensus.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the proposal needed further discussion and that Italy was awaiting the outcome of the upcoming call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The initiative to provide Ukraine with 40 billion euros ($43.6 billion) in military aid has "broad political support" among EU member states, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on March 17 before the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels.
With this disbursement, Ukraine will have received nearly 20 billion euros ($21,7 billion) under the Ukraine Facility since the program was launched in early 2024.
"We won't be dragged into this; we will not allow Hungarian taxpayers' money to be used to finance arms shipments to Ukraine," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
Lithuania ranks among Europe's top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of its GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced today that an expanded coalition of nations is ramping up efforts to back Ukraine in peace negotiations with Russia, following a high-level virtual summit in London on March 15.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration halted U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine as Europe prepares a post-America defense strategy.
"Today, we have also tasked the Council to work urgently on further initiatives to address Ukraine’s pressing military and defense needs," European Council President Antonio Costa said.
"Europe is here to strengthen Ukraine in this critical moment. I can announce that a new 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion) payment for Ukraine will arrive already in March," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The additional military support would supply Kyiv with air defense systems, artillery ammunition, long-range missiles, and drones.
After the Trump administration accused European allies of not pulling their weight in the support for Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent sat down with the EU's first-ever defense commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, to discuss whether Europe is ready to step up.
The package is expected to include 1.5 million artillery shells, air defense systems, and equipment for military brigades. According to Politico, the value of the aid could increase to 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) depending on individual EU member states' contributions.
The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with former Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, at the 2025 Munich Security Conference as U.S. officials undermine Ukraine’s NATO prospects and territorial integrity ahead of peace negotiations with Russia.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Tiraspol rejected the EU's financial assistance allegedly due to conditions attached to the aid package. He attributed the decision to Russian influence.
Bulgaria has provided Ukraine with old Soviet-era military equipment, with funds received from NATO and EU allies being reinvested into purchasing modern Western weapons.
The European Union will provide 35 billion euros ($36 billion) in financial assistance to Ukraine in 2025 through the G7 ERA credit initiative and the Ukraine Facility program, European Commission's vice-president and trade commissioner announced on Jan. 22.
"If the United States is not ready for it, the European Union is ready to take the lead," Kallas said.
The aid package was conditional on Hungary implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, a European Commission spokesperson said.
"Only Ukraine as the aggressed country can legitimately define what peace means — and if and when the conditions are met for credible negotiations," said Antonio Costa, president of the European Council.
As the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden rushes to provide last-minute aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office in January, the State Department has recently announced a $266 million maintenance sales package for Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets. Trump has made no public comments about the Ukrainian
European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, has proposed allocating 100 billion euros ($105 billion) for defense in the next seven-year EU budget, Politico reported on Dec. 8.
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova announced 25 million euros ($26.5 million) in funding on Dec. 5 for Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations that will advance work related to Ukraine's eventual EU integration.
In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Kaja Kallas, the newly appointed vice-president of the European Commission and top EU diplomat, discusses Ukraine support and recent EU sanctions against Russia. Kallas visited Kyiv on Dec. 1, the first day in her new role.
Denmark will allocate 130 million euros ($137.5 million) for the development of the Ukrainian defense industry, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Nov. 19 during a joint press briefing with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky
"As we're approaching the 1000th day of Russia's atrocious war, we will help keep the Ukrainian state running while the country fights for survival. We are in it for the long haul," Ursula Von der Leyen said.
"We need faster deliveries and fewer self-imposed red lines," Borrell said referring to his support of allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian with Western-provided long range weaponry.
Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis issued a letter to cabinet ministers on Oct. 23 warning that the European Union has notified Ukraine that the next tranche of 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) from the EU's Ukraine Facility may be delayed until next year unless expected aspects of corruption reforms are completed by the end of this month.
In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 81% of young German respondents expressed concern about the possibility of war in Europe, a sharp rise from 46% in 2019.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is preparing to deliver a significant policy concession to former President Donald Trump, potentially allowing him to evade a $50 billion loan intended to support Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.
European Union countries have approved an unprecedented plan to issue a 35-billion-euro ($37.2 billion) loan to support Ukraine's war-torn economy, using Russia's immobilized Central Bank assets as collateral.
Ukraine has received 4.2 billion euros ($4.6 billion) as part of the EU's four-year financial support program, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 13.
(Updated: )
