EU seeking to bypass opponents of Ukraine aid
The EU is working on a new mechanism whereby a 'coalition of the willing' would continue providing military aid to Kiev despite opposition by Hungary, according to Kaja Kallas, the bloc's foreign policy chief.
Kallas made the announcement on Thursday after arriving for an emergency summit of the bloc's 27 countries in Brussels to discuss boosting defense and Ukraine aid amid waning US support.
Asked by reporters about Hungary's attempt to block aid to Ukraine, Kallas acknowledged the issue is 'increasingly difficult.' She explained that Brussels is considering a new initiative called a 'coalition of the willing,' so that 'one country cannot block everybody else.'
Hungary has already rejected an EU draft text on Ukraine that included security guarantees for Kiev and a new military aid package. Budapest has also called on the EU to begin negotiations with Russia.
The idea of creating a 'coalition of the willing' – a group of countries ready to support Kiev militarily – was first proposed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at an emergency summit in London this past Sunday. The meeting in London was summoned shortly after Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky's ill-fated trip to Washington.
The term 'coalition of the willing' is most closely associated with the designation given to the countries supporting the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 on the ultimately disproven allegations of possession of weapons of mass destruction.
'We are still striving for having the unity of 27 members,' she said, but added that if unanimity cannot be reached, Hungary will have to 'speak for themselves.'
The military aid package for Ukraine reportedly being prepared by the EU is worth at least $6.2 billion, making it one of the bloc's largest arms commitments since 2022. However, Hungary has indicated that it will veto the initiative.
Earlier this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the so-called ReArm Europe initiative, an €800 billion ($866 billion) plan aimed at bolstering the EU's defense capabilities. The proposal was prompted by US President Donald Trump's freezing of military aid to Ukraine while urging the EU to take greater responsibility for its own defense.
Moscow has long warned against Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they only prolong the conflict without altering the outcome, while increasing the risk of a direct Russia-NATO clash. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has suggested that the EU could contribute to resolving the crisis by halting military and logistical support to Kiev.
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