“Politico writes that Germany and the Netherlands support the possibility of buying American weapons with an EU loan of €90 billion, and France insists on the priority of European manufacturers.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: “European Truth” with reference to the publication Politico
Details: EU countries agreed to this financial support for Kyiv at the European Council summit in December, but the capitals have yet to agree on the formal terms of this funding. It involves tense negotiations with Paris, which is trying to prevent funds from going to Washington amid a split in NATO.
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French President Emmanuel Macron is keen to prioritize European defense companies to bolster the bloc’s defense industry – even if that means Kyiv can’t immediately buy all the weapons it needs to deter Russian forces.
The majority of countries led by the governments in Berlin and The Hague, on the other hand, believe that Kyiv should have more freedom in using the EU’s financial package to finance defense, according to the position documents that the publication has seen.
Critics respond that the French initiative to introduce a tough “Buy European” principle will tie Kyiv’s hands and limit its ability to defend itself against Russia.
“Ukraine also urgently needs equipment produced in third countries, in particular American air defense systems and interceptors, ammunition and spare parts for the F-16, as well as long-range weapons,” the Dutch government wrote in a letter to other EU countries, which was seen by the publication.
While most countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, support the overall “Buy European” principle, only Greece and Cyprus support the French initiative to limit the scheme to EU companies only, according to several diplomats familiar with the negotiations.
According to two EU diplomats briefed on the discussions, more than two-thirds of the funding is planned to go to military spending rather than regular budget support.
The European Commissionto announce on Wednesday, January 14, a legislative proposal to provide Ukraine with a EUR 90 billion loan from the EU.
We will remind:
December 18-19 The European Council made a decision provide Ukraine with a loan in the amount of EUR 90 billion for 2026-2027 from EU borrowings on the capital markets, secured by EU budget reserves based on the mechanism of enhanced cooperation with Ukraine.