EU's Military Aid Proposal for Ukraine Faces Resistance

Italy and Spain are hesitant to support an EU proposal for 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine. While northern and eastern EU countries back the proposal, southern countries show reluctance. The geopolitical landscape is tense, amid uncertainties regarding U.S. involvement and a potential Trump-Putin dialogue.

The European Union's ambitious proposal to provide up to 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine is encountering resistance from major member states, Italy and Spain. This proposal, which seeks to double the EU's military support to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia, would require each country to contribute according to its economic capacity.

While the initiative led by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has garnered backing from northern and eastern European nations, southern members remain cautious. Italy and Spain, the EU's third and fourth largest economies respectively, have yet to endorse the plan as they await developments from an anticipated dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The geopolitical stakes are high with ongoing uncertainty over the future of U.S. support under Trump's administration. Meanwhile, Estonia, Denmark, and Lithuania have been leading contributors to Ukraine's military aid, contributing over 2% of their GDP, while southern countries have given less than 0.5% of their GDP.

(With inputs from agencies.)