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Key Points
- EU leaders say they will continue to support Ukraine
- Ukraine’s President is calling for a 5 billion euro artillery package
- The European bloc is looking to bolster defence after a shift in US policy
“The stronger they are on the battlefield, the stronger they are behind the negotiation table,” Kallas said of the Ukrainians.
Kallas had already scaled back a proposal to pledge up to €40 billion ($68.85 billion AUD) in military aid to Ukraine for the whole year, with each country contributing according to its economic size, after resistance from some countries, particularly in southern Europe.
The leaders of Ukraine and Russia have agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire. Source: AAP / Sean Kilpatrick/AP
Bolstering the EU’s own defences also features on the summit agenda, reflecting deep fears that Moscow may attack an EU member in the coming years and doubts about the future of US protection for Europe via the NATO defence alliance.
But some southern European capitals have been more reticent reflecting a division between those geographically closer to Russia that have given more aid to Ukraine and those further away that have given less, as a share of their economies.
EU leaders will also debate the Commission’s defence proposals, which include a call for European countries to pool resources on joint military projects and buy more European arms.
