Bloomberg: EU readies plan for long-term military aid for Ukraine.

The European Union has prepared a framework to provide Ukraine with long-term security assistance, including the continued provision of weapons, training of Ukrainian troops, and support for Ukraine's domestic defense industry, Bloomberg reported on Nov.

21, citing internal EU documents.   The proposed measures will be discussed with EU ambassadors in the upcoming week and with senior EU leadership in December, Bloomberg reported. It aims to build upon the plans for long-term security guarantees presented by the Group of 7 (G7) countries at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

The proposed G7 security guarantees would entail explicit and long-lasting obligations, as well as bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. They would also cover sanctions, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction. The EU's proposed plans would seek to bolster those of the G7, as well as to assist Ukraine in fulfilling its reform obligations.

The proposal comes as it appears likely the EU will fail to deliver on its pledge of one million shells to Ukraine by March 2024. Weapons provisions from the EU would continue to operate under The European Peace Facility, in which member states are reimbursed for military aid sent to Ukraine. However, several EU countries, including Germany, were reportedly hesitant about committing to the four-year, £21 billion plan under the European Peace Facility suggested by the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, in July 2023.

Unnamed diplomats told Reuters in November that some of the member states preferred to allocate funds on a yearly basis instead of committing far in advance. The plan still appears to be receiving pushback, as an unnamed EU diplomat told Bloomberg that there was still disagreement about the terms and that the EU hoped to at least agree on 5 billion euros (£5.4 billion) for 2024. Commitments for future military aid would follow after, the diplomat added.

Such a plan would run contrary to the logic of Borrell's proposal, which was to create a more predictable source of funding over several years.

This Week in Ukraine Ep.

34 - What's wrong with Hungary?

Episode #34 is dedicated to why Hungary's pro-Russian government is blocking Ukraine's European integration.