BRUSSELS: The defense ministers of the EU member countries are meeting in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Tuesday to break through the impasse with Hungary over billions of euros of military aid for Kyiv, now into its third year since Russia invaded. Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to inspect the F-16 fighter jets Belgium will provide to Ukraine. He is also embarking on a whirlwind tour which includes stops in Portugal, Belgium and Spain to solicit other backing.
It’s estimated that roughly 6.5 billion euros ($7bn) worth of assistance has been held up by Budapest under Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is widely seen as Moscow’s most reliable ally within the EU’s 27-member grouping.
Hungary has a powerful veto right and has been blocking funds for strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities for years now.
“The need for all these critical decisions is there and yet there are so many decisions that have not been taken,” noted Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur before the meeting. “The emergency situation is very much alive.”
On Monday, President Zelenskyy obtained a Spanish commitment to assist him with additional air defense missiles aimed at combating almost 3 thousand bombs from Russia every month.
However, Ukraine urgently needs another seven US-made Patriot air defense systems to prevent Russia from striking power lines and residential areas as well as military objects with terrifying glide bombs that cause massive destruction according to Zelenskyi.
Within it was an agreement between them: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain inked a bilateral security pact where billions of dollars worth of arms would be sent to Ukraine between 2024 and 2027. Alongside this comes more Leopard tanks and artillery ammunition.
But he had scheduled visits earlier this month to Belgium and Spain only postponing them when Russian troops launched their offensive into the Kharkiv region.
Often, Ukraine tries to hit targets deep within Russia using drones, a tactic that has become more effective at causing disruption in recent months as Russia has responded more quickly than before.
It is Ukraine’s biggest test militarily since February 2022 when full-scale invasion by Russia occurred. Its Western supporters, including a protracted delay to US military support have caused Ukraine to depend on the stronger Russian army and air force.
