EUROPE is fast tracking arms and aid shipments to Ukraine in case they are stopped as part of a peace settlement with Russia. A fresh military aid package worth £34 billion was last night being finalised by European leaders ahead of a special two-day summit which begins tomorow.
The proposal would aim to deliver two million rounds of artillery ammunition this year as well as air defence systems, deep-precision strike missiles, drones and other weapons.Ukrainian military brigades and industry would also be posted as part of the move.
The frenetic pace of discussions echoes that with which former US President Joe Biden, fearing new President -elect Donald Trump would block aid to Ukraine, rushed through more than £1.5 billion worth of military aid last December.
“Putin has called for military aid to be stopped and, with President Trump’s assistance, he might potentially secure this while Russian forces continue to try capture parts of Ukraine,” said Prof David Dunn of Birmingham University.
“So Europeans are trying to actually get ahead of the game.”
But other experts said that, while the Russian leader would emphatically not allow European boots on Ukrainian soil, his stance on European aid was a “bargaining tool”.
“Nato has no intention of quitting aid delivery to Ukraine and Putin knows this.
‘This is Putin trying his hand,” said Russia expert Prof Mark Galeotti.
“He is demanding all kinds of things, some of which he knows are going to have to be hostages to negotiation.
“In order to claim that he’s making concessions, he has to demand things that he knows he’s not going to get.”
