Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 06.11 – 12.11

Bloomberg: The EU is unlikely to deliver one million munitions to Ukraine by March

The European Union has informed its member states that the commitment to provide Ukraine with one million artillery munitions by March 2024 is unlikely to be fulfilled. Currently, Ukraine has received about 30% of the promised quantity of munitions.

It is reported that based on the volume of signed contracts, the EU risks falling short of its goal. A spokesperson for the European diplomatic service declined to comment on the matter.

 

Bild: Germany Allocates an Additional 4 Billion Euros for Military Aid to Ukraine

In the budget for the next year, Germany is including an extra 4 billion euros for military assistance to Ukraine.

According to sources, the coalition parties reached this agreement earlier this week, and next week the Budget Committee of the Bundestag will officially adopt the decision for the additional 4 billion euros in funding.

Initially, Finance Minister Christian Lindner had envisaged only 4 billion euros in military aid to Kyiv in the federal budget for 2024. The German Ministry of Defense is now seeking an additional 5 billion euros during the ongoing budget negotiations.

 

Bloomberg: EU Considers Alternative Aid Plan for Ukraine in Case of Hungarian Veto

According to Bloomberg, EU member states are exploring an alternative financing plan for Ukraine in case Hungary vetoes the current proposal of 50 billion euros. The new proposal is said to involve national guarantees from member countries to secure funding on the markets if Budapest blocks the long-term EU budget review, which includes the aid package for Ukraine. Unanimity is required for its approval.

Sources suggest that some countries are pushing for a swift resolution to find an alternative funding solution for Ukraine, aiming to increase pressure on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Concerns about a potential Hungarian veto and discussions on how to bypass it arose after Budapest called for a comprehensive debate on the effectiveness and sustainability of the EU's existing strategy towards Ukraine.

 

Emmanuel Macron: December Will Be Critical for the War in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the next month will be critical in the war in Ukraine, as our country engages in counteroffensive operations to reclaim its territories.

According to the descriptions of Macron's remarks provided by the BBC, the French president emphasized that it is the duty of France and all nations to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.

"But he also said that the next month will be critical as Ukraine seeks to reclaim lost lands during counteroffensive operations," the BBC report states.

Macron noted that allowing Russia to win the war could result in "a new imperial power" in Europe, posing a threat to other former Soviet states such as Georgia and Kazakhstan, as well as the entire continent.

“Because, undoubtedly, this is imperialism and colonialism that Russia is carrying out (in Ukraine),” Macron said.

 

NATO Secretary-General on the War in Ukraine: Prepare for a Long Road Ahead

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that he expects progress from the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the fight against Russian occupiers but warns that achieving progress will be challenging.

"We need to be prepared for a long road. Wars, by their nature, are unpredictable. What we know for sure is that what happens at the negotiating table is closely linked to the situation on the battlefield," Stoltenberg noted.

According to the NATO Secretary-General, only with military support will Ukraine remain a sovereign and democratic state, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will realize that victory on the battlefield is unattainable. Commenting on the article by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhny, in which he wrote that the war had reached an impasse, Stoltenberg pointed out that it has always been understood that the situation would be challenging.

 

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» in English for readers from other countries to tell the stories of people who survived the horrors of the Russian occupation.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти історії людей, які пережили жахи російської окупації.