Italy and Spain do not yet support EU plan to increase military aid to Ukraine – Reuters
Photo: The EU proposes creating a €40 billion support fund for Ukraine (Getty Images)
On Monday, Italy and Spain signaled that they are not yet ready to support the EU’s proposal to allocate up to €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year, Reuters informs.
According to the news agency, the proposal by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas could mean doubling the EU’s military support for Ukraine. In 2024, EU countries provided Kyiv with approximately €20 billion.
However, ahead of the meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers of Italy and Spain — the EU’s third- and fourth-largest economies — stated that it is too early to make a final decision on the initiative.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani noted that the issue requires thorough discussion, considering ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“We are waiting for the Trump-Putin telephone call to see if there will be any steps forward in order to reach a ceasefire,” Tajani said.
He also added that Italy needs to find funds to strengthen its own defense capabilities.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated, “We'll see how the debate goes, but at this point there's no decision on it.”
According to him, Spain has already committed to providing Ukraine with €1 billion in military aid this year, independently of Kallas’ initiative.
Reuters adds that during discussions on supporting Ukraine, Slovakia signaled that it would not block the initiative but does not intend to contribute. Hungary and Slovakia do not provide military aid to Ukraine, but according to EU representatives, they will not be able to block the initiative, as contributions are voluntary.
EU military aid for Ukraine
Recently, the EU proposed creating a fund to provide Ukraine with military aid worth between €20 billion and €40 billion. The fund will operate on a voluntary basis to avoid a potential veto from Hungary.
Today, after the EU Council meeting, Kaja Kallas stated that the allocation of €40 billion in new aid for Ukraine has broad political support, but many details still need to be worked out.
