EU leaders to meet in Jan to mull potential end of US support for Kiev
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Referring to it as the "elephant in the room," Borrell said Europeans will decide what to do if the new US administration stops funding Kiev.
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European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrellat a press conference during informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Kiev, Ukraine on October 2, 2023. (AP)
Leaders of the European Union will convene in early January to debate the bloc's position if the United States withdraws its backing for Ukraine, EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell said Thursday during a Q&A session at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics.
Borrell explained that such a meeting would take place and further explained that the conversation is crucial "to have a look at which will be the European response to a possible change in the US attitude towards Ukraine."
Referring to it as the "elephant in the room," Borrell said Europeans will decide what to do if the new US administration stops funding Kiev.
Billions in new funding for Ukraine
Borrell's revelation comes as Politico reported on Wednesday that President Joe Biden has quietly requested additional aid for Ukraine, seeking to include the funding in the upcoming government spending package.
Of the $24 billion requested, $16 billion is designated to replenish US military stocks, with the rest allocated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The request has sparked criticism, with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene condemning it as a priority over US domestic needs, also claiming the administration may consider supplying nuclear weapons to Ukraine.
"America LAST!!! Not only is the Biden/Harris admin[istration] giving another $24 BILLION to Ukraine, they are also considering giving nuclear weapons to Ukraine," Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X later in the day in reply to the news piece.
The latest aid package came as the Biden administration rushed to deliver the remaining approximately $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine before Trump assumes office, amid concerns that his administration would halt weapons shipments before they reach Kiev.
The new aid package includes HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) ammunition, artillery shells, and Javelin surface-to-air missiles, in addition to a wide range of spare parts and equipment, according to officials.
Two administration officials told Politico on November 6 that the White House plans to expedite the weapons delivery ahead of the January 2025 inauguration, as Trump has previously said he would cease military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to hold peace negotiations with Russia.
No weapons can shift power dynamic on battlefield: Putin
Allowing Ukraine to conduct long-range missile strikes using Western-supplied precision weapons constitutes direct Western involvement in the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, as the war between Moscow and Kiev escalates.
Putin highlighted that such operations would require the direct involvement of NATO military personnel and specialists, making Western nations active participants in the war, and noted Russia's awareness of the quantity and planned deliveries of Western arms to Ukraine and mentioned that he would brief CSTO members on the current developments in Ukraine.
As the West races to supply Ukraine with weapons and military aid to launch heavy attacks deep into Russian territory, Putin reaffirmed that even the most sophisticated and modern weapons would not shift the power dynamic on the battlefield.
"No supply of even the most modern weapons to the Ukrainian territory will change the situation on the battlefield," he said during the session.
