The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaya Kallas, warned EU candidate countries against sending representatives to Moscow for the May 9th Victory Day celebrations. She emphasized that participation would have consequences given Russia's war in Ukraine. Only Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić confirmed attendance.
The EU aims to adopt a 17th sanctions package against Russia in May, targeting its “grey fleet” of ships evading sanctions. However, unanimous agreement among member states remains elusive. Discussions also covered extending and expanding EU missions in Ukraine, contributing to security guarantees. Hungary, however, threatened to veto any expansion of the mission onto Ukrainian territory or sanctions impacting Russian energy imports.
The EU has reached 70% of its goal to provide Ukraine with 2 million shells this year. While a majority of countries support increased efforts, funding for the €5 billion initiative remains uncertain. Hungary and Slovakia have refused to participate in providing military aid to Ukraine. European countries have pledged €23 billion in military aid to Kyiv since the start of the year, an increase of €3 billion compared to 2024. The EU has provided a total of €144 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of the war, nearly €50 billion of which is military assistance.