EU fails to agree on €5 billion annual Ukraine military aid fund

At an emergency summit on 1 February, EU leaders did not make a decision to establish a special fund for military support of Ukraine, but European Council President Charles Michel says progress has been made.

The standoff reflects broader debates over sustaining arms supplies to Ukraine long-term, amplified by US congressional holdups and the possibility of a Trump comeback.

In a section concerning military support for Ukraine in a statement released after the summit, the European Council emphasized the commitment to continue providing Ukraine with “timely, predictable and stable military support” through the European Peace Facility, the work of the EU training mission for the Ukrainian military, and bilateral assistance.

However, no decision has been made regarding the creation of the Ukraine Assistance Fund within the European Peace Facility, as President Zelenskyy implored via video link during the meeting. The special €20 billion fund is intended to provide stable military support to Ukraine over four years; the issue of its creation is planned to be resolved by March.

The conclusions state that the Council of the EU aims to reach an agreement on creating the Ukraine Assistance Fund by early March by way of amendments to the 2021 Council Decision establishing the European Peace Facility.

At the same time, European Council President Charles Michel noted that “progress” has been made on this issue.

After almost 2 years of war, Ukraine remains and will remain a priority.

We will continue our strong military assistance. Progress has been made in supporting Ukraine through the

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