The European Union member states are hesitant to pledge a $21.4 billion long-term military assistance fund to Ukraine as it continues to struggle against Russia’s invasion.
The defense ministers of the EU are set to deliberate on Tuesday in Brussels about a proposal from EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell, which was put forward last July. However, sources say that several countries, including Germany, have expressed concerns about pledging up to $5 billion per year for four years as part of wider security efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses.
The European Union’s diplomatic service reports that they have already given $26 billion in assistance through the provision of weapons and equipment.
A senior diplomat, who chose to remain anonymous, stated that Germany has raised numerous concerns and it is understandable considering the significant amount of money involved.
The discussion about providing military support coincides with ongoing discussions among EU countries regarding a plan to offer Ukraine approximately $54 billion in economic aid.
Certain countries within the EU have expressed concerns about committing to a significant long-term pledge due to budget constraints at the domestic level.
According to a second EU representative, certain member countries are faced with the practicality of managing their public finances.
Furthermore, the European Union is encountering difficulties in meeting a goal of providing Kyiv with 1 million artillery shells and missiles by March of next year.
For several months, Hungary has been withholding over $500 million in payments from the Peace Facility to European Union members for aid to Ukraine. This is due to Ukraine’s decision to blacklist Hungarian bank, OTP.
After being removed from the blacklist, Hungary has been persistently requesting assurances that it will not be re-added.
On Friday, Hungary’s leader Viktor Orbán stated that he opposes continuing talks about Ukraine’s membership in the European Union. This suggests that Hungary may impede Kyiv’s efforts to become part of the organization.
All member states must agree in order to accept a new country into the group, granting Orban a significant veto power.
During an interview on Friday with state radio, Orban stated that Ukraine is far from achieving membership in the world’s biggest trading alliance.
According to him, Hungary’s stance is that the negotiations should not commence.
The government led by Orban has declined to provide weapons to Ukraine in their conflict with Russia. Additionally, they have accused Ukraine of infringing on the rights of a Hungarian minority in western Ukraine by limiting their ability to use the Hungarian language in educational institutions.
Naval drones
According to Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, on Friday, unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian navy caused the sinking of two small Russian landing boats in Crimea.
I am unable to confirm the report on my own. There has been no immediate response from Russia, which has its Black Sea Fleet based in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
According to an initial report by military intelligence, the two small Russian ships that were hit overnight were amphibious.
According to the report, the attack resulted in both ships sinking – the Akula immediately and the Serna after rescue efforts were made.
The Ukrainian armed forces reported that the ships were staffed and stocked with tanks. According to Ukraine, certain Russian naval vessels have moved from Sevastopol after recent assaults.
Local authorities reported that on Friday, three individuals were killed and an unspecified infrastructure facility, as well as power lines and a gas pipeline, were damaged due to Russian artillery and drone strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions.
On November 10, 2023, a resident of the village of Kiseliovka in Kherson, Ukraine, was seen walking among the remains of a farm that had been destroyed in a recent rocket attack by Russia.
Russian forces regularly bombard both regions located on the eastern side of the Dnipro River, which is currently under occupation.
According to Serhiy Lysak, the governor, a 67-year-old woman was fatally injured in a drone strike in Nikopol, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The governor shared this information through the Telegram messaging service.
According to Lysak’s message on Telegram, a man who is 68 years old sustained injuries from shrapnel and is currently hospitalized.
Images posted by Lysak revealed damaged buildings with broken windows, significant damage to walls, and a burned vehicle. Several structures, including an infrastructure facility, a gas pipeline, and power lines, were impacted, as well as 11 private residences.
According to a statement on Telegram by Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, a 69-year-old man was killed and a 63-year-old man was injured in a shelling incident on Friday morning in Kindiyka, located in the Kherson region.
In a subsequent statement, he reported that a 61-year-old male died and five others were wounded in a separate attack in Novoraysk.
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, along with other military officials, arrived at the Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on November 9, 2023. The photo was taken by Gavriil Grigorov and provided by Sputnik via AP from the Kremlin Pool.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin went to his military base in Rostov-on-Don to evaluate the condition of his country’s troops in Ukraine as the conflict continues through the winter season.
This was Putin’s second appearance at the headquarters in under a month.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, accompanied him. After nearly two years of battling in Ukraine, the military capabilities of both Russia and Ukraine have been greatly diminished. As winter approaches, the conflict is expected to continue as a war of gradual exhaustion.
The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse contributed information to this report.
Source: voanews.com
