“This is not a question of months, it’s a question of days and weeks,” European Council President Charles Michel said after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also pledged that more air defense help for Ukraine would be announced over the coming days.
But Washington’s renewed support risks taking the pressure off the EU, said two European diplomats who were granted anonymity to speak freely.
After months of stalling, a U.S. aid package worth $95 billion passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday and is headed for the Senate; after approval there it will likely go straight to the White House to be signed by President Joe Biden. Of the overall figure, $60.8 billion is earmarked for Ukraine to refresh armaments, replenish silos and fund the logistics needed to get weaponry out of storage sites across Europe and to the frontline.
“We’re … going to see … more U.S. deliveries now as well and then we see how that’s going to affect the total calculus,” Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told journalists Monday, 48 hours after the U.S. vote.
So far, few EU countries have responded publicly to a call from Berlin to send air defense systems to Ukraine, although a senior diplomat said some countries could opt for air defense support on a non-public basis.
While alternative surface-to-air systems exist, U.S.-made Patriots are regarded by defense experts as Ukraine’s most effective option for use against Russia. Six EU countries have Patriots — Germany, Poland, Greece, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands — but it’s unclear whether any will be given to Kyiv.