On Thursday, European Union leaders reached an agreement to send a $54 billion aid package to Ukraine. The country, soon to head into its third year of war with Russia, has an economy that is in shambles, according to AP News.
Inflation rose to as much as 26% at the onset of the war. And though it has recovered somewhat, Ukraine now uses the majority of its tax revenue in the war effort, leaving a massive deficit on wages to be paid to government workers. Per NPR, the aid money is not intended as war funds, but to keep the Ukrainian economy running through 2024 and to sustain essential services like health care and pensions.
Ukrainina President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Per Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commended the decision. On his X account, the site formerly known as Twitter, Zelenskyy said, “Today, Europe demonstrated the exact type of unity that is required. All 27 EU countries acted together. This is a clear signal to Moscow that Europe will withstand and will not be broken by any destructive waves that the Kremlin constantly creates.”
Hungary Relents
According to the AP, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán objected to supporting Ukraine back in December and vetoed a proposal to send funding. Orbán has been in contention with the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, over what the commission views as “democratic backsliding” in Hungary.
But per NPR, after certain conditions were met, Orbán and Hungary changed their stance and gave the go-ahead for the aid package. After the deal was made, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola “admitted it would have been better if there weren’t conditions attached to Hungary’s approval of the funding,” but didn’t detail what those conditions were.
Pressure on the U.S.
After the agreement was made, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that “he hoped the EU decision would help U.S. President Joe Biden convince Congress to follow suit,” according to Reuters. In his post on X, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said, “... this is also a clear signal across the Atlantic. A signal that Europe is taking on commitments. Strong security commitments. We are looking forward to America’s decisions.”
Per the AP, President Joe Biden made a statement commending the European Union’s “steadfast support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression and fulfill the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of its citizens.” But support for Ukraine has stalled in the U.S. as Congress as struggles to finalize a deal to send aid. Conservatives in the House are wary of the tens of billions of dollars in proposed support.
All the while, per the AP, the Ukrainian military is running short of supplies to defend against Russia. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated in a speech on the floor that “the survival of Ukraine is on the line.” He said, “The only way we’ll rise to the occasion is if both sides are serious about finding a bipartisan compromise ... We have not concluded negotiations so we will keep going to get this done.”