https://sputnikglobe.com/20231122/eu-drafting-security-plan-for-ukraine-amid-bloc-bickering-over-further-aid-1115125427.html
EU Drafting 'Security Plan' For Ukraine Amid Bloc Bickering Over Further Aid
EU Drafting 'Security Plan' For Ukraine Amid Bloc Bickering Over Further Aid
Sputnik International
Amid dwindling military and economic support for the regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the European Union has reportedly devised a draft paper containing security guarantees for Ukraine.
2023-11-22T09:54+0000
2023-11-22T09:54+0000
2023-11-22T09:54+0000
european union (eu)
ukraine
volodymyr zelensky
g-7
world
dmitry peskov
nato
membership action plan
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Amid the specter of dwindling military and economic support for the regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the European Union has reportedly devised a draft paper containing security guarantees for Ukraine.With Volodymyr Zelensky sounding the alarm right and left about the prospects of Western support to Kiev decreasing to a trickle, the framework document concocted to appease Ukraine’s increasingly snubbed President will reportedly be central to upcoming consultations between the Group of Seven (G7) nations and Kiev.The assembled proposals are said to be built on the bilateral arrangements that Kiev hopes to wrangle out of some of its Western patrons this year. These draft EU paper purportedly contains commitments that include offering a “predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term mechanism for the provision of military equipment to Ukraine.”At this point it is worth noting that EU member states have already been fast-depleting their own armed forces' stocks by arming Ukraine and fueling the proxy war with Russia. Needless to say, the European defense industry will have its task cut out for it if it takes on the afore-mentioned commitment. Furthermore, there are growing divisions within the bloc over long-term aid for Ukraine. Originally, the EU sought to allocate a mind-boggling sum of €20 billion ($21.8 billion) to cover costs of providing weapons to Kiev. However, that did not go over well with some of the member states, with some, like Germany, reportedly disagreeing with the proposed terms, as per a cited EU diplomat. Accordingly, now the sum has shrunk to a proposed 5 billion for next year, so it is reportedly hoped that member states might at least agree to that.As to the other proposals contained in the draft paper cited by the outlet, these are:Further delivery of weapons to Ukraine would continue, as per the above-cited draft paper, via the so-called European Peace Facility mechanism, which is geared to reimbursing member states for whatever they supply to Kiev. The paper is also said to lay out how the bloc could help it with its ‘reform agenda’ related to gaining EU accession.Ambassadors of EU member states will purportedly be discussing the draft, seen by Bloomberg, as early as this week. Afterwards, the bloc’s long-lasting security commitments for Kiev will come up for scrutiny by EU states’ leaders in December.During the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, G7 members agreed to launch a bilateral security guarantees discussion with Ukraine. These long-lasting obligations were to cover military support, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction. While NATO powers opted to drop the Membership Action Plan (MPA) procedure for Ukraine, which outlined a list of reforms and guidelines by which the country’s application for membership might be considered, they swore off allowing Kiev membership it so coveted over fears of the alliance being drawn into a direct war with Russia.In a statement released on July 12, the G7 officially announced plans for long-term security commitments to Ukraine, which presupposed that each of the members would "focus on long-term bilateral cooperation to help Ukraine." Kiev, on its part, where corruption is almost legalized, was to carry out reforms to its security and defense sectors, judiciary, and law enforcement.Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for Ukraine's accession to the European Union on February 28, 2022. On June 23, 2022, EU heads of state approved its candidate status. The formal decision to open membership talks with Kiev will be taken at the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15.Ukraine Burden Fuels 'Fatigue' Mention of the draft paper comes against the bleak backdrop of Kiev’s failure to succeed in its much-vaunted counteroffensive, which has resulted in huge losses of manpower and NATO-donated weaponry.That, along with the huge financial 'burden' of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s regime have been driving 'Ukraine fatigue' in both the US and in Europe. Propping up Kiev is losing support in the Congress, where the GOP-controlled House of Representatives refused to include multibillion Ukraine packages in stopgap measures to avoid a US government shutdown. In response, EU leaders signaled that the bloc would not be able to replace US aid for Ukraine. The Western press has also chimed in, acknowledging that the European and American public have grown increasingly weary of the conflict.Furthermore, the EU will reportedly be unable to provide Ukraine with the promised rounds of artillery ammunition by next spring. EU member states made an ambitious pledge in March 2023 to produce and supply 1 million 155mm (six inch)-calibre artillery shells to Ukraine in a year.As to Russia’s response to the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine by the United States, France and other countries, Moscow is closely monitoring information about this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in July. At the time, he noted that it is not yet clear from official statements exactly what format of guarantees the Western nations were talking about. He added that Moscow, “never heard any mention, or at least references, to the concerns that our country has repeatedly expressed about our security, which is regrettable.” Peskov said that so far this process is “quite one-sided,” noting that it could not be viable without mentioning Russia’s security.Any country has the right to receive security guarantees, Moscow is not against discussing this issue, provided that Russia's security is ensured, President Vladimir Putin stated in July, emphasizing that while “achieving the security of one country, threats should not be created for another country.”
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231113/france-halting-free-arm-transfers-to-ukraine-is-sign-of-europes-exhaustion-1114929350.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230913/ukraines-accession-to-nato-will-not-bring-peace-only-provoke-russia---sarkozy-1113352809.html
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ukraine's botched counteroffensive, dwindling support for ukraine, nato proxy war against russia in ukraine, european union draft paper, security guarantees for ukraine
ukraine's botched counteroffensive, dwindling support for ukraine, nato proxy war against russia in ukraine, european union draft paper, security guarantees for ukraine
EU Drafting 'Security Plan' For Ukraine Amid Bloc Bickering Over Further Aid
The futility of continuously propping up Kiev amid its botched counteroffensive, accrued massive manpower and weaponry losses, and reports of escalating government infighting is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore. Hence, the growing chorus of political voices both in the US and in Europe questioning the viability of the Kiev regime.
Amid the specter of
dwindling military and economic support for the regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the European Union has reportedly devised a draft paper containing security guarantees for Ukraine.
With Volodymyr Zelensky
sounding the alarm right and left about the prospects of Western support to Kiev decreasing to a trickle, the framework document concocted to appease Ukraine’s
increasingly snubbed President will reportedly be central to upcoming consultations between the Group of Seven (G7) nations and Kiev.
The assembled proposals are said to be built on the bilateral arrangements that Kiev hopes to wrangle out of some of its Western patrons this year. These draft EU paper purportedly contains commitments that include offering a “predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term mechanism for the provision of military equipment to Ukraine.”
At this point it is worth noting that EU member states have already been
fast-depleting their own armed forces' stocks by arming Ukraine and fueling the proxy war with Russia. Needless to say, the European defense industry will have its task cut out for it if it takes on the afore-mentioned commitment. Furthermore, there are growing divisions within the bloc over long-term aid for Ukraine.
Originally, the EU sought to allocate a mind-boggling sum of €20 billion ($21.8 billion) to cover costs of providing weapons to Kiev. However, that did not go over well with some of the member states, with some, like Germany, reportedly disagreeing with the proposed terms, as per a cited EU diplomat. Accordingly, now the sum has shrunk to a proposed 5 billion for next year, so it is reportedly hoped that member states might at least agree to that.
As to the other proposals contained in the draft paper cited by the outlet, these are:
Providing training to Ukrainian Armed Forces
Cooperation with Ukraine’s defense industry to ‘align standards’ & enhance capacity
Supporting de-mining efforts
Sharing intelligence & satellite imagery
Support against cyber & hybrid threats
Help with countering
illegal trafficking of weapons, and monitoring stocks of ammunition, firearms, light weapons Aiding Ukraine’s nuclear safety efforts and energy transition
Further delivery of weapons to Ukraine would continue, as per the above-cited draft paper, via the so-called European Peace Facility mechanism, which is geared to reimbursing member states for whatever they supply to Kiev. The paper is also said to lay out how the bloc could help it with its ‘reform agenda’ related to gaining
EU accession.
13 November 2023, 17:20 GMT
Ambassadors of EU member states will purportedly be discussing the draft, seen by Bloomberg, as early as this week. Afterwards, the bloc’s long-lasting security commitments for Kiev will come up for scrutiny by EU states’ leaders in December.
During the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, G7 members agreed to launch a bilateral security guarantees discussion with Ukraine. These long-lasting obligations were to cover military support, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction. While NATO powers opted to drop the Membership Action Plan (MPA) procedure for Ukraine, which outlined a list of reforms and guidelines by which the country’s application for membership might be considered, they swore off
allowing Kiev membership it so coveted over fears of the alliance being drawn into a direct war with Russia.
13 September 2023, 18:21 GMT
In a statement released on July 12, the G7 officially announced plans for long-term security commitments to Ukraine, which presupposed that each of the members would "
focus on long-term bilateral cooperation to help Ukraine." Kiev, on its part, where
corruption is almost legalized, was to carry out reforms to its security and defense sectors, judiciary, and law enforcement.
Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for Ukraine's accession to the European Union on February 28, 2022. On June 23, 2022, EU heads of state approved its candidate status. The formal decision to open membership talks with Kiev will be taken at the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15.
21 November 2023, 14:31 GMT
Ukraine Burden Fuels 'Fatigue'
Mention of the draft paper comes against the bleak backdrop of Kiev’s failure to succeed in its
much-vaunted counteroffensive, which has resulted in huge losses of manpower and NATO-donated weaponry.
That, along with the
huge financial 'burden' of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s regime have been driving 'Ukraine fatigue' in both the US and in Europe. Propping up Kiev is losing support in the Congress, where the GOP-controlled House of Representatives refused to include multibillion Ukraine packages in
stopgap measures to avoid a US government shutdown. In response, EU leaders signaled that the bloc would not be able to replace US aid for Ukraine. The Western press has also chimed in, acknowledging that the European and American public have grown increasingly weary of the conflict.
Furthermore, the EU will reportedly be
unable to provide Ukraine with the promised rounds of artillery ammunition by next spring. EU member states made an ambitious pledge in March 2023 to produce and supply 1 million 155mm (six inch)-calibre artillery shells to Ukraine in a year.
As to Russia’s response to the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine by the United States, France and other countries, Moscow is closely monitoring information about this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in July. At the time, he noted that it is not yet clear from official statements exactly what format of guarantees the Western nations were talking about. He added that Moscow, “
never heard any mention, or at least references, to the concerns that our country has repeatedly expressed about our security, which is regrettable.” Peskov said that so far this process is “
quite one-sided,” noting that it could not be viable without mentioning
Russia’s security.
Any country has the right to receive security guarantees, Moscow is not against discussing this issue, provided that Russia's security is ensured, President Vladimir Putin stated in July, emphasizing that while “achieving the security of one country, threats should not be created for another country.”
20 November 2023, 15:13 GMT
