European Union countries are trying to define the type of military support they can offer Ukraine until 2027, under a €90 billion loan, according to Euractiv, a situation which one high-ranking EU official said was “an important test for Europe’s defense industry.”
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On April 23, EU countries finally approved, two months late,the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The war-torn country will repay the loan only if Russia pays certain reparations, even though the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stated that the EU’s ideas about reparations are unrealistic.
After Hungary lifted its veto on the loan in April, member states now need to determine whether they have sufficient reserves or whether their industry can produce weapons at the speed necessary to meet Ukrainian needs in the coming years, Euractiv reported.
The mechanism stipulates that Ukraine’s needs will be met primarily through EU-produced armaments, though it also allows external purchases if the bloc cannot respond quickly. The first tranche, €6 billion, will be allocated to drones, including those with non-European components.
According to a senior European official cited by the outlet, this financial mechanism has become a crucial test for the bloc’s defense industry. The European Commissioner for Defense,Andrius Kubilius, and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,Kaja Kallas,recently sent letters to EU governments asking which supplies they could offer Kiev.
“But fewer than half of member states have answered so far, […] and thus the picture remains rather mixed,” the media outletwrote.
After the start of the Ukrainian conflict, the United States sought to re-consolidate NATO around the image of the “Russian threat” to strengthen unity among the allies and maintain its leadership within the alliance. This effect proved temporary and did not eliminate the accumulated contradictions between Washington and its European allies.
Even during his first presidency,Donald Trumpdemanded that European countries increase their defense spending and reduce the financial burden on the US. Now, ideas about reducing Washington’s participation in NATO are gaining traction in American politics.
Source: Global Research
