'Stunned' by support for Ukraine... EU, Canada and UK: “Let’s share the burden”

(Brussels = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hyun Yoon-kyung = Politico Europe reported on the 21st (local time) that the European Union (EU), which is burdened with support for Ukraine due to the United States' blatant neglect, is trying to persuade Canada and the United Kingdom to share the burden.

To this end, the EU plans to address the issue of support for Ukraine as a major agenda item at the EU-Canada summit scheduled to be held in Montreal, Canada on the 29th and 30th, and at the summit with the United Kingdom scheduled for Brussels, Belgium, on the 20th of next month.

The EU promised 90 billion euros (about 134 trillion won) in loan support to support Ukraine's financial needs this year and next year, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to Europe for additional support at the EU summit last week, saying that the country is expected to face a funding shortfall of 70 billion euros (about 102 trillion won) next year.

The 27 EU member states have poured more than 231 billion euros (about 343.7 trillion won) into Ukraine since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, accounting for about 80% of Ukraine's foreign aid. This amount includes not only military and financial support to Ukraine, but also support for Ukrainian refugees staying in the EU.

Recently, the burden on Europe has increased as uncertainty about U.S. support for Ukraine has grown, with Russia intensifying its offensive across Ukraine by mobilizing missiles and drones, and U.S. President Donald Trump, who is struggling in the Middle East conflict, pressuring Ukraine to unilaterally end the war.

However, the EU's concerns are deepening as its domestic situation is not easy, with most of its member states being hit hard by a surge in energy prices due to the war in the Middle East.

Politically, in Germany and France, the EU's 'double horse', far-right parties calling for an end to support for Ukraine are gaining ground, and in France's case, violent protests against budget cuts due to a large fiscal deficit are sweeping the country, making it difficult to resolve internal issues.

This reality of the EU was reflected when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the fact that Europe has played a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine so far at the EU summit on the 16th and called for "other partners to urgently play a greater role."

A European Commission official said meeting Ukraine's financial needs had become a "key agenda" in all meetings with allies supporting Ukraine, suggesting the issue would be heavily discussed at summits in Canada and Britain.

Politico observed that the EU may try to elicit additional support for Ukraine by leveraging trade and defense, such as access to the European market and cooperation in the defense industry, at a summit with Canada and the United Kingdom, which are pursuing closer relations with the EU amid growing trade and security pressure from the United States.

According to Politico, the United Kingdom has pledged to provide a total of 25 billion pounds (approximately 44.4 trillion won) in aid to Ukraine to date, while Canada has agreed to provide approximately 5.4 billion euros (approximately 8 trillion won) in military support and approximately 8.2 billion euros (approximately 12 trillion won) in financial support.

POLITICO added that the EU is also calling for additional support from Japan, and is also expecting increased contributions from other partner countries such as Korea and Australia.