Today's D Brief: $300M in Ukraine aid; Arms sales to Poland; Red Sea skirmishes; Orbiting gas stations?; And a bit more.
Defense OneMar 03
EU Agrees on €5B for Ukraine Weapons Fund
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The Facts
After months of negotiations, EU countries on Wednesday agreed "in principle" a new €5B ($5.5B) assistance fund for military aid to Ukraine.
The agreement, when formally passed, will create a new initiative called the Ukraine Assistance Fund. It will fall under the existing European Peace Facility (EPF) — a mechanism that allows EU countries to be reimbursed for the weapons they provide to Ukraine.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is much-welcome news for Ukraine which is in desperate need for the military aid amid Washington's inability to secure additional funds. It also reaffirms the EU's commitment to Ukraine, demonstrating that it will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes to prevail.
Establishment-critical narrative
After two years of grueling war, it's clear that the US and NATO project of fighting a proxy war against Russia has failed. Instead of continuing this wrong-headed policy of continuing to arm Ukraine and escalate the conflict, Western leaders need to reverse course and instead push for peace.
