European Union Encounters Inside Strife Due to EUR20 Billion Ukraine Assistance Suggestion
Date
11/12/2023 6:56:31 AM
(MENAFN) In a surprising turn of events, the European Union's ambitious plan to allocate USD 20 billion (USDUSD 21.4 billion) for lethal aid to Ukraine is encountering resistance from several member states, casting doubt on its future in its current form. diplomatic sources reveal that Germany, a key player in the European Union, is among the nations expressing skepticism and raising questions about the substantial funding commitment proposed by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, since July.
While Borrell has been advocating for the four-year spending initiative, some member states remain unconvinced and hesitant to commit such a significant financial contribution so far in advance, according to insiders. A senior European diplomat highlighted Germany's reservations, stating, "Germany has had a lot of questions... and rightfully so. We're talking about a lot of money. I'm not going to declare it dead at this point yet. But of course, improvements can always be made."
The fate of the proposed funding plan will be on the agenda during the upcoming meeting of European Union defense ministers in Brussels next week. Simultaneously, the bloc is grappling with another proposal to provide approximately USD50 billion in economic assistance to Kiev, further complicating the internal debates among member states.
Adding to the dissent, some member states have openly voiced their opposition to the financial aid plan. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, for instance, took a decisive stance by blocking the package in a vote last month. Orban argued that the proposal "had not been worked out properly and was not suitable to be a basis for serious negotiations, so we rejected it."
As the European Union finds itself at a crossroads regarding its support for Ukraine, the internal discord among member states poses a significant challenge. With Germany and other nations questioning the proposed financial commitment, the fate of the EUR20 billion aid plan remains uncertain. The upcoming discussions among European Union defense ministers will undoubtedly be crucial in determining the bloc's unified stance on supporting Ukraine in the face of geopolitical tensions.
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