Bloomberg: EU Leaders Concerned Trump May Require Them to Finance Ukraine
Officials in Brussels have reportedly engaged in discussions about strategies to support Kiev in the event that Donald Trump halts the provision of funds and weapons. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Officials in Brussels are reportedly concerned that they may not have enough weapons to support Kiev amid ongoing discussions among European Union leaders about the feasibility of continuing financial backing for the Ukrainian military. This consideration comes in light of potential shifts in U.S. policy under President-elect Donald Trump, as reported by Bloomberg on Friday.
During a meeting in Budapest on Thursday, EU officials reportedly evaluated the bloc's readiness to finance the war, with one source indicating that a significant worry is that Trump might seek to transfer the financial burden onto Europe.
Throughout his campaign, Trump claimed he could end the conflict within “24 hours,” yet he offered limited specifics on how that would be achieved. He frequently stated that Washington’s European allies would need to “pay up” if they wished to continue their involvement in the conflict and is rumored to be planning for the Europeans to take on the costs and responsibilities of post-conflict security arrangements.
Since February 2022, the EU has provided Ukraine with €118 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid, compared to the U.S., which has supplied Kiev with $90.7 billion, alongside an additional $16.5 billion in promised aid, according to data from Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
As stated by one of Bloomberg’s sources, the concern among EU officials lies not so much with financial resources but with “the available military resources that have come primarily from the US.”
Many weapons systems integral to Ukraine's defense are produced by American companies, including F-16 fighter jets, HIMARS rocket artillery systems, and ATACMS missiles. The Pentagon's extensive stockpiles have also enabled the U.S. to provide millions of artillery shells, mortars, and various ammunition types to Ukrainian forces.
In contrast, arming Ukraine has placed significant strain on Europe’s largest militaries, resulting in shortages of essential equipment. For example, German troops have been unable to train with their latest howitzers, while Britain has sent its entire inventory of AS90 artillery guns to Ukraine.
The EU's industrial capacity faces challenges in meeting Ukraine's needs as well. In March, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton reported that the bloc's manufacturers could produce a million 155mm artillery shells annually, aiming to increase that to 1.7 million by the end of 2024. However, an arms industry source indicated to U.S. state media in July that fewer than 300,000 shells were being produced.
Trump has yet to publicly disclose his plans for Ukraine, and different perspectives have emerged from his inner circle. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance proposed that Kiev could relinquish its territorial claims and aspirations for NATO membership in exchange for peace. Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo, who served as Trump’s CIA director and secretary of state, has urged his former boss to allocate half a trillion dollars, long-range weapons, and a NATO invitation to Ukraine, envisioning that this would empower Kiev to negotiate terms with Moscow.
On Thursday, Trump mentioned that he would likely talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, to which Putin has expressed readiness to engage in dialogue. Additionally, Trump had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Friday.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a meeting in Budapest on Thursday, EU officials reportedly evaluated the bloc's readiness to finance the war, with one source indicating that a significant worry is that Trump might seek to transfer the financial burden onto Europe.
Throughout his campaign, Trump claimed he could end the conflict within “24 hours,” yet he offered limited specifics on how that would be achieved. He frequently stated that Washington’s European allies would need to “pay up” if they wished to continue their involvement in the conflict and is rumored to be planning for the Europeans to take on the costs and responsibilities of post-conflict security arrangements.
Since February 2022, the EU has provided Ukraine with €118 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid, compared to the U.S., which has supplied Kiev with $90.7 billion, alongside an additional $16.5 billion in promised aid, according to data from Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
As stated by one of Bloomberg’s sources, the concern among EU officials lies not so much with financial resources but with “the available military resources that have come primarily from the US.”
Many weapons systems integral to Ukraine's defense are produced by American companies, including F-16 fighter jets, HIMARS rocket artillery systems, and ATACMS missiles. The Pentagon's extensive stockpiles have also enabled the U.S. to provide millions of artillery shells, mortars, and various ammunition types to Ukrainian forces.
In contrast, arming Ukraine has placed significant strain on Europe’s largest militaries, resulting in shortages of essential equipment. For example, German troops have been unable to train with their latest howitzers, while Britain has sent its entire inventory of AS90 artillery guns to Ukraine.
The EU's industrial capacity faces challenges in meeting Ukraine's needs as well. In March, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton reported that the bloc's manufacturers could produce a million 155mm artillery shells annually, aiming to increase that to 1.7 million by the end of 2024. However, an arms industry source indicated to U.S. state media in July that fewer than 300,000 shells were being produced.
Trump has yet to publicly disclose his plans for Ukraine, and different perspectives have emerged from his inner circle. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance proposed that Kiev could relinquish its territorial claims and aspirations for NATO membership in exchange for peace. Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo, who served as Trump’s CIA director and secretary of state, has urged his former boss to allocate half a trillion dollars, long-range weapons, and a NATO invitation to Ukraine, envisioning that this would empower Kiev to negotiate terms with Moscow.
On Thursday, Trump mentioned that he would likely talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, to which Putin has expressed readiness to engage in dialogue. Additionally, Trump had a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Friday.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
