Countries like France and Germany with existing military-industrial capacity would like to see a shift away from the reimbursement model to the EU directly funding arms contracts and are pushing for such a transition to occur quickly.
When European leaders agreed to Ukraine’s accession talks in December 2023, the historic move was hailed in Kyiv as a recognition of years of struggle to get closer to the bloc since the EuroMaidan Revolution. The agreement came after a European Commission decision in November 2023 recommending talks begin
"But it's not a substitute for American leadership when it comes to security assistance. And that is why it’s so critical for us to continue to urge Congress to pass that national security supplemental," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
The aid deal includes a provision for a yearly discussion on the package and the potential to review it in two years "if needed," but there is no explicit veto for Hungary or any other member state.
All 27 leaders of EU member states agreed on an additional 50 billion euro support package for Ukraine within the EU budget, European Council President Charles Michel announced on Feb. 1.
The 26 European Union member states are determined to overcome Hungary's objections and move forward with several key priorities for Ukraine in one of the most "complex, complicated, and difficult European Councils."
In total, 78% of Ukrainians would vote to join the EU if a referendum were held now and 77% are in favor of joining NATO, according to a poll released by the Rating Sociology Group on Nov. 29.
A majority of Ukrainians would vote for joining the European Union and NATO if the referendum took place in the upcoming week, according to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey published on Dec. 24. The poll showed that 67% of surveyed Ukrainians would support joining the EU, while
