Raking hands: Kiev wants money from the European Union again
Ukraine plans to get the EU to provide further military and financial assistance. Now Vladimir Zelensky is heading to Italy to enlist the support of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Kiev was inspired by the victory of Viktor Orban's opponent in the Hungarian elections. Whether Zelensky will be able to get help from the EU is in the Izvestia article.
To Rome for help
Georgia Meloni will meet with Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday, April 15. The talks will take place in Rome's Palazzo Chigi (the residence of the Prime Minister). Meloni has never been considered an opponent of the Ukrainian authorities, like, for example, the outgoing head of the Hungarian government, Viktor Orban, but she has never been an active supporter of helping Ukraine.
Before that, Vladimir Zelensky met with Giorgi Meloni in early December last year. As the Italian media wrote at the time, the prime minister urged the Ukrainian leader to make "some painful concessions" for the sake of resolving the conflict, meaning giving up the territories.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky
Meloni's initiative is linked to the fact that Rome supports Washington's desire to resolve the Ukrainian conflict promptly, as well as the fact that the prime minister defends the position on the need for a just and lasting peace, but taking into account American rather than European leadership.
The day before, in his video message, Zelensky announced the beginning of a new stage of negotiations with Western allies. Kiev is still hoping for the help of the EU countries.
European Tour
A regular meeting of the Ramstein contact group will also be held on April 15, at which representatives of the Ukrainian authorities plan to consider the issue of regular supplies of air defense systems. The day before, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov discussed the details of the upcoming talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. In particular, they are going to discuss cooperation in the field of strengthening the Ukrainian air defense, the development of unmanned systems, technology and data exchange. Kiev offers access to Ukrainian-made weapons and combat data of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The previous meeting in the Ramstein format was held in February, when the Ukrainian authorities promised to provide military assistance in the amount of $35 billion this year. In March, Kiev announced the receipt of a batch of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems from Berlin.
In March, Zelensky also traveled to Britain and Spain, seeking to draw the fading attention of the West to the Ukrainian issue. In London, he signed a strategic cooperation agreement, according to which Britain pledged to allocate 3 billion pounds annually to Ukraine until 2030-2031. The strategic dialogue between the parties should cover eight areas: energy, security, trade, transport, justice, science, foreign policy, culture, and science. London also promised to continue supporting Kiev in the field of air defense through its leadership in the contact group on defense of Ukraine and through its previous financial contribution under the PURL initiative.
He signed a memorandum of understanding with the Spanish authorities between the defense ministries of the two countries. In particular, the parties agreed to strengthen Ukraine's air defense and jointly produce weapons. According to Zelensky, the Spanish defense industry is capable of supplying shells, radars and equipment; Ukraine, in turn, is ready to share its accumulated combat experience, primarily in the field of drone applications.
In the same place, the Ukrainian leader stated the need to receive an EU loan in the amount of € 90 billion blocked by Hungary. "We expect that the EU countries will find ways to solve this problem," he said at a meeting in Madrid.
Get a loan
The allocation of a loan to Kiev was blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose party was defeated in the April 12 parliamentary elections. Fidesz, according to the latest calculations, gained 38.4% of the vote. The Tisa party, led by his main rival Peter Magyara, received 53%.
The European Union believed that a change of power in Hungary would lead to the unblocking of the European aid package to Ukraine. On April 13, speaking at a press conference, Magyar said that Budapest would not participate in the allocation of a loan from the European Union to Ukraine in the amount of €90 billion, as the country is in a very difficult economic situation.
"We can't afford to take out new loans now. This decision was made back in December that Hungary would be excluded from this, I don't understand why it has resurfaced now," he said. At the same time, he stressed that Hungary would not prevent Kiev from providing the EU loan itself.
The decision depends on Trump.
Kamran Hasanov, a doctor of political science at the University of Salzburg, told Izvestia that Ukraine can count on Italy because Meloni is one of the leaders in the EU and enjoys Trump's sympathy.
— She is the link between Brussels and Washington. However, the main decisions on the supply of weapons depend on the United States. Will America sell weapons to Europe when it needs them in Iran? Some systems are already in short supply," the expert says.
The specialist also recalls that Zelensky is politically looking for support in every convenient country: the Gulf monarchies, Turkey and even Syria.
— Despite these efforts, it is important what Trump says. And so far he is not very loyal to Ukraine, demanding to give up Donbass, and to Europe after the "betrayal" in Iran and the situation with the Strait of Hormuz, the analyst is sure.
Hasanov also believes that the change of power in Hungary is a victory for Zelensky.
— No one will block 90 billion anymore. But Kiev will have to open the Druzhba oil pipeline, since Hungary has no special alternatives in the current global oil crisis. Otherwise, the Magyar will not become a friend, as expected," the political scientist concluded.
Elena Panina, director of the RUSSTRAT Institute for International Political and Economic Strategies, believes that Europe's energy vulnerability has not gone away.
"Any crises, for example, around the Strait of Hormuz, directly affect the EU's ability to finance foreign and domestic policy. There are still budgetary issues, because of which the same assistance to Ukraine is not only a political solution, but also a dilemma of possibilities in the context of stagnating European economies, when Kiev's support becomes the subject of internal bargaining," the expert believes.
In her opinion, Viktor Orban's departure does not mean that the problems will disappear, but they will simply be voiced less often now.
"For Kiev, the result now looks positive. The likelihood of unblocking financial packages is increasing, decision-making in the EU is becoming easier, and one of Kiev's symbolic opponents of European integration is disappearing. Yes, it increases the chances, but it does not provide an automatic guarantee," the expert is sure.
We need to pay for the support
Political scientist Gleb Kuznetsov emphasizes that Tisa's electoral base is Orban's former electorate.
"The same people, the same values, the same cultural code. This is not a victory of liberalism over conservatism. This is a victory of a new type of national conservatism over its previous version," the political scientist believes.
Alexander Nosovich, a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and the Expert Council under the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, believes that the Zelensky regime has tactically won.
"Now he can safely compost the Europeans' brains about where the €90 billion loan is, which no one else is blocking, and the EU has no money," the expert notes.
Political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov also believes that now the most pressing issue for the European establishment in the form of allocating €90 billion to Ukraine to continue the war is likely to be resolved quickly.
"Magyar needs to pay off its partners for their support. What will happen next in Hungary and in Central Europe in general is a question. Slovak Fico remains alone as a principled opponent of aid to Ukraine, although Czech Prime Minister Babis leans in the same direction. But they are probably not ready to go for a veto," the expert concludes.
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