EU’s Kallasโ Signals Potential Turning Point in Ukraineโ Diplomacy as Support Pledges โMount
Brussels – European โUnion Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Chief Josep borrell indicated that diplomatic โขefforts toward a resolution ofโข the โconflict in Ukraine might potentiallyโ beโ entering a “pivotal” phase, while simultaneously acknowledgingโ Ukraine’s current isolation โon theโฃ battlefield.Borrell stated, “[the] Ukrainians are there alone.โข If they would โคbe together with the Europeans, they would definitely be much stronger. But Iโข trust that Ukrainians stand up for themselves.” The remarksโ came during a meeting ofโข EU defense ministers focused on bolstering support forโ Ukraine and enhancing European defense capabilities.
Theโ discussion underscores a critical โขjuncture inโ the nearly two-year-old war, as Ukraine โฃcontinues to seek sustained military and โfinancialโ assistance fromโ its allies. The EU isโข simultaneouslyโ working to strengthen its own defense posture amid ongoing concerns about Russian aggression.Fifteen EU member states haveโ already incorporated aid toโ Ukraine into their โคnationalโ spending plansโ underโข a newly proposed โฌ150 billionโข ($174 billion) defenseโฃ fund, dubbed SAFE, exceeding initial expectations.
EU defense ministers convened with Ukrainian โDefense Minister Denys Shmyhal and โขNATO Deputy Secretary General radmila Shekerinska to address Kyiv’s most urgent โฃdefense needs. The meetingโ followed aโ deadline for the 19 EU countries initially interested in SAFE funding to submit โdetailed spendingโ proposals, all of whichโฃ were received, according toโ EU Defenseโฃ Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
The EU is also pursuing initiativesโฃ to increase itsโฃ overall defense readiness, including โฃflagship rearmament projects focused on border protection, drone defense, air defense, and space capabilities. Negotiations to include Britain and Canada in the SAFE fund have โฃstalled, reportedly due to disagreements over financial contributionsโค from London.
