Zelensky complains Western backers too slow to send money
At a recent summit in The Hague, most members of the US-led bloc committed to raising security-related expenditure to 5% of GDP. Kiev seeks to benefit from the surge, even as reluctance to commit to long-term funding of Ukraine is dwindling in the West.
'The EU has opened access to €150 billion. Member states can assume obligations to draw these funds and then transfer them to Ukraine,' Zelensky told Ukrainian ambassadors on Monday, according to remarks released by his office. 'Ten countries have already expressed readiness to take this money, but we have not yet seen the result – that they have actually taken it and transferred it to us.'
Zelensky appeared to be referring to the EU's Security Action for Europe (SAFE), a €150 billion ($175 billion) borrowing instrument introduced in May to support the European Commission's efforts for rapid militarization across the bloc.
SAFE offers member states and select partner countries access to low-interest loans for national defense efforts or joint weapons procurement. The program is part of a broader EU strategy to borrow €800 billion for military readiness investment. It is not designed to provide direct financial aid.
EU officials say the bloc is preparing for the possibility of Russian aggression – a claim Moscow has rejected as fearmongering based on false assumptions.
This month, the US offered to sell weapons to Ukraine, with other NATO nations covering the costs. While the proposal was hailed by Brussels, some major EU economies, including France and Italy, have reportedly opted out citing financial limitations or political reasons.
Brussels' handling of the Ukraine conflict has exposed growing divisions within the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime critic of the pro-Kiev approach, denounced the European Commission's draft seven-year budget, saying it appears primarily tailored to Ukraine's needs.
'This budget would destroy the European Union,' Orban said last week, predicting that the Commission will likely have to withdraw or significantly revise the proposal within a year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Russia Today
Most Germans unhappy with Merz's leadership
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has suffered a major blow in terms of public support over the past month, with 56% of people disapproving of his work, a survey conducted by INSA institute shows. Less than a third of respondents said they are still satisfied with his leadership. In early June, the level of support for Merz stood at 36%, with 45% of Germans critical of his performance, according to the German tabloid Bild, which commissioned the poll. The governing coalition, which includes Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democrats, has also taken a beating, according to the poll. Almost 60% of Germans are not satisfied with the coalition's work, up from just 44% in early June, the data suggests. The two parties would no longer be able to form a majority government if elections were held this weekend, with the CDU getting 27% of the vote and the Social Democrats gaining 15%, according to INSA. Germany's most popular opposition party – the right-wing Alterative for Germany (AfD) – is polling just three percentage points behind the CDU, the poll suggested. Since taking office in May, Merz has adopted a hardline foreign policy stance towards Russia. Berlin – one of Kiev's largest backers – has pledged to provide €5 billion ($5.6 billion) to finance long-range weapons production in Ukraine. The chancellor also did not rule out providing long-range missiles capable of striking Moscow. Merz declared that diplomatic options in the Ukraine conflict were 'exhausted' earlier this month. The chancellor's statements prompted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to accuse him of choosing escalation instead of diplomacy. The federal government's spending priorities have sparked criticism at home. 'Nobody understands that anymore,' AfD co-chair Alice Weidel said this week, referring to Berlin's decision to funnel taxpayers' money into weapons for Kiev while leaving domestic needs being unmet.
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Immigration is ‘killing' Europe
US President Donald Trump has ramped up his rhetoric on immigration, claiming it is 'killing' Europe and warning that European leaders must act immediately or risk losing control. The warning comes as the continent continues to grapple with a protracted migration crisis that has spanned more than a decade. Large numbers of migrants have been entering the EU since 2015, largely caused by upheavals in the Middle East and Africa, and later the Ukraine conflict. According to the EU Commission, there were 385,445 irregular border crossings in 2023, an 18% increase from 2022. 'You're allowing it to happen to your countries, and you've got to stop this horrible invasion that's happening to Europe,' Trump said during a five-day visit to Scotland focused on his business interests, including golf resorts. 'Immigration is killing Europe,' the president added, urging leaders to take immediate action. 'You better get your act together, or you're not going to have Europe anymore.' Trump also used the occasion to highlight his administration's hardline stance on immigration within the US, boasting about stepped-up enforcement along the southern border. 'As you know, last month we had nobody entering our country. We removed a lot of bad people who got in,' he said. Since returning to the Oval Office in January, Trump has reinstated strict immigration control, including mass deportations and expanded detention efforts. He has pledged to carry out the largest migrant removal operation in US history despite widespread criticism and protests across the country. The migration crisis in Europe has been met with varied responses across the continent. While some countries initially welcomed asylum seekers, many have since reintroduced border controls and tightened immigration laws amid concerns over security and rising crime. In April, US Vice President J.D. Vance echoed the president's concerns, describing its migration policy as one of the Europe's greatest threats. He warned that uncontrolled migration risks 'destroying the fundamental cultural bedrock of Europe.'
Russia Today
6 hours ago
- Russia Today
Putin-Zelensky summit only possible to finalize peace deal
A summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky should only take place to finalize a peace settlement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Zelensky has repeatedly called for a face-to-face meeting with Putin in the past several months. The Ukrainian delegation has also proposed the idea during rounds of bilateral talks in Istanbul, framing such a summit as essential to ending the conflict. While the Kremlin has not ruled out a possible Putin-Zelensky meeting, Russian officials have consistently emphasized that the groundwork must be laid first. 'A summit meeting can and should put a final point in the settlement and record the modalities and agreements that are to be developed in the course of expert work. It is impossible to do the opposite,' Peskov told reporters on Friday. Following the third round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul this week, the Kremlin spokesman accused Kiev of prematurely pushing for a summit. 'They are trying to put the cart before the horse,' Peskov said, stressing that 'work needs to be done, and only then can the heads of state be given the opportunity to record the achievements that have been made.' Moscow has consistently pointed to concerns about Zelensky's legal authority. While Russia has stated it is open to negotiations with him, officials have warned that any documents signed under Zelensky's name could face legal challenges in the future. Zelensky's presidential term expired in May 2024. He has refused to hold new elections, citing the ongoing state of martial law in Ukraine. Russia has argued that his status as head of state is no longer valid and that legal authority in Ukraine now lies with its parliament. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has suggested that Zelensky's insistence on meeting both Putin and US President Donald Trump may be aimed at getting 'a massive legitimacy boost' and using the meetings as a pretext to further delay elections.
