The authorities of the European Union are negotiating a package of additional military assistance amounting to €20 billion for Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, citing sources, the package will include the supply of artillery ammunition, air defense systems, long-range missiles, drones, and other weaponry. The assistance will also aim to strengthen Ukrainian military brigades.
The EU plans to finalize the initiative, which includes contributions in kind and cash from member states and like-minded allies, at the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers, as reported by individuals familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity. Following this, EU leaders will need to agree on the total amount of such contributions and sign the package.
However, as noted by the publication, these timelines may be disrupted as Hungary has already stated that it will not support this initiative, and Germany is concerned about upcoming elections.
Negotiations with Russia
U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia, after which American President Donald Trump suggested that he wants to quickly conclude a peace treaty to end the war in Ukraine.
This week, Trump shocked the world by claiming that Ukraine is to blame for the war and questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky, echoing a typical talking point of Russian propaganda.
Ukraine is currently unable to hold elections due to being in a state of war since the Russian invasion. It is not uncommon for countries at war to refrain from holding elections. For instance, the United Kingdom did not hold elections for an entire decade—from 1935 to 1945.