EU Looking At Ramping Up Ukraine Aid

The EU has been the biggest provider of aid to Ukraine, allocating €118 billion ($127 billion) since the start of the conflict, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The U.S. has provided €85 billion in total, although the flow of money has tailed off this year, with just €17 billion allocated.

The U.S. is a crucial source for some of the most powerful weapons, such as F-16 fighter jets and ATACMS long-range missiles that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian troops far behind the frontlines. Its manufacturing capacity is also vital for maintaining the supply of 155mm artillery shells that is at the core of Ukraine’s defensive operations.

While some officials argue that Europe should bide its time until Trump’s inauguration in January to find out about his intentions toward Ukraine, others say leaders don’t have that luxury and the European Commission should be coming up with proposals on how the bloc will respond if U.S. aid is shut off, Bloomberg said.