December 15, 2023

Ukraine update

The E.U. agreed to open membership talks. It will be years before Ukraine can officially join the bloc, but the decision was an important sign of support.  E.U. leaders couldn’t agree on $50 billion in funding for the country, exposing division within the 27-nation union.

Some long obstacles stand in the way of Ukraine joining the EU. The country must undergo a rigorous process to ensure economic stability and a functioning democracy, and it could be years until full membership is attained.

Messenger - As Congressional Republicans continue to block the latest U.S. aid package for Ukraine, the White House has been clear about the potential fallout. And Ukrainian leadership has been clear about what the loss of American support would mean: without the money, the besieged country runs a “big risk” of losing the war. 

Since Vladamir Putin launched the war in late February 2022, the U.S. has been Ukraine’s most generous supporter by a wide margin–spending roughly $78 billion on the conflict so far. Putin recently vowed that his goals in Ukraine remain the same and that there would be no peace until they're achieved. Meanwhile, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán promised to deny Kyiv $54 billion in financial aid that the country desperately needs. So what can Ukraine do, if U.S. aid remains blocked by Congressional infighting? (Read More)

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