Latest news with #UkraineAidTracker
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rubio presses Europe to 'step up' support for Ukraine in talks with French FM
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European allies to commit more resources to Ukraine during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, warning that 'words are not enough' to end Russia's war and secure a lasting peace, the State Department reported on May 1. According to a readout from State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio praised France's leadership in building support for a peace agreement, but stressed that European partners must 'step up with real resources and political will' if they hope to bring the war to an end. The meeting comes amid growing concern over Europe's ability to fulfill its defense pledges. As reported by the Times on April 30, European nations may struggle to provide even 25,000 troops to a proposed multinational 'deterrence force' for Ukraine, far short of the 64,000 target initially suggested by U.K. defense officials. The plan, part of a so-called 'coalition of the willing' led by the U.K. and France, aims to secure postwar stability, rebuild Ukraine's military, and deter future Russian aggression. For now, the U.S. has reportedly offered intelligence and logistics support but has denied a troop commitment. For weeks, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pressed Trump for a formal commitment, warning that U.S. backing is essential to the coalition's viability. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine Aid Tracker, Europe has surpassed the U.S. in total aid to Ukraine: 138 billion euros ($157 billion) compared to Washington's 115 billion euros ($131 billion). Researchers highlighted several recent European aid packages, including Sweden's largest assistance tranche to date worth $1.6 billion and new support from Germany, the U.K., Norway, and Denmark. Read also: EU will not recognize Crimea as part of Russia, Kallas says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe's overall Ukraine aid outpaces US by $26 billion, report says
Total assistance allocated by Europe to Ukraine since 2022 stands at 138 billion euros ($157 billion), 23 billion euros ($26 billion) more than the U.S., according to an April 15 report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine Aid Tracker. The U.S. still holds an edge in terms of military aid — its 65 billion euros ($74 billion) total leads Europe by 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) — but the gap is narrowing, as Washington has not allocated a new aid package since Jan. 9, still under the Biden administration. U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to provide fresh aid for Ukraine as he seeks to broker a ceasefire and restore ties with Moscow. The U.S. president partially justified his reluctance to provide new aid by claiming that Europe has donated considerably less assistance to Ukraine while putting the U.S. aid at $350 billion, claims refuted by the Kiel Institute's report. In March, the new administration even briefly paused all military and intelligence assistance previously approved by Biden to pressure Kyiv into accepting a mineral resources deal. As a result, U.S. assistance to Ukraine has stalled since Trump took office, while Europe has steadily maintained its support. Ukraine previously experienced such a long gap in new U.S. aid allocations in early 2024 when a Trump-aligned wing of the Republican Party blocked the assistance in Congress. Researchers highlighted several recent European aid packages, including Sweden's largest assistance tranche to date worth $1.6 billion and new support from Germany, the U.K., Norway, and Denmark. Speaking at the 27th Ramstein-summit format on April 11, U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey announced that the allies — not including the U.S. — had committed more than 21 billion euros ($23.8 billion) in new security assistance to Kyiv. Ukraine has ramped up calls for new aid, particularly air defense, as Russia continues in its unrelenting attacks against Ukrainian cities and rejects a temporary truce backed by Kyiv and Washington in March. "The recent pause in U.S. aid raises the pressure on European governments to do more, both in financial and military assistance," Taro Nishikawa, project lead of the Ukraine Support Tracker at the Kiel Institute, said in a statement. Researchers also highlighted the disparity between various European countries. Some of the larger Western economies, such as France, Italy, or Spain, have allocated notably smaller portions of their GDP than the Nordics and the Baltics, the report shows. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine developing strategic-level air defense system; Russia intensifies assaults against Kharkiv Oblast We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
