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EU fails to reach deal on military aid to Kyiv

CHINADAILY · 公众号 · 时评 · 2025-03-08 11:39

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European Union leaders failed to reach a consensus on Thursday to provide military support to Ukraine following US President Donald Trump's decision to halt US military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposed the text on Ukraine despite the endorsement by all other member states at the EU special summit held in Brussels — also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

European Council President Antonio Costa said Hungary has a "different strategic approach" to Ukraine. "We respect Hungary's position, but it's one out of 27. And 26 are more than one," he told a news conference after the summit, adding that "Hungary is isolated".

▲ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center), European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a European Union leaders' special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels on Thursday. Christian Hartmann/REUTERS

Orban quickly fought back against the accusations.

"The isolation is relevant to the European Union. The European Union has isolated itself from the US, isolated itself from China, and isolated itself from Russia because of the sanction policy," he told reporters before leaving the summit.

"So if someone is isolated here, it's the European Union. Hungary has good relations in all three directions, so we are not isolated at all."

Political news outlet Politico, quoting unnamed EU diplomats, said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had tried to rally member states to inject at least 20 billion euros ($22 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2025, but failed to win unanimous support.

Kallas had also talked about creating a "coalition of the willing, so that one country cannot block everybody else". But doing so is seen as challenging the EU's fundamental principle of unanimity required in making and implementing foreign policy decisions.

With the dramatic change in US policy, many EU leaders are asking if the bloc can step up and fill the gap created by the suspension of US military aid and intelligence sharing.

The answer was a "resounding silence" when Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal raised the issue during closed-door meetings, according to Politico.

Detailed document

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will present a detailed legal document about the "ReArm Europe" program at the next formal EU summit later this month. The program she unveiled a few days ago aims to raise 800 billion euros ($867 billion) to beef up EU defense.

The commission will present the White Paper on the Future of European Defense on March 19, right before the next EU summit, she said.

"We are coming out of this European Council very determined to ensure Europe's security and act with the scale, speed and resolve that the situation demands," she told the news conference on Thursday.

Commenting on Costa's speech before the summit, Alberto Alemanno, a professor of law at HEC Paris, said on X that "expectations for a European awakening mounting among EU leaders who address their fellow citizens in revolutionary fashion".

EU fails to reach deal on military aid to Kyiv

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