Europe
France and Italy Stall EU Push to Deliver Ammunition to Kyiv
Kaja Kallas at the European Union Summit in Brussels on March 20.
Photographer: John Thys/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
An effort by European Union leaders to deliver €5 billion ($5.4 billion) to secure ammunition for Ukraine this year was held up by France and Italy, European diplomats said, another sign of the challenges the bloc faces in replacing US support for Kyiv.
While most of the 27 member states meeting in Brussels on Thursday have rallied around earmarking crucial financing for military assistance, France and Italy are stalling at committing to specific financial volumes, said diplomats, who were granted anonymity to discuss closed-door conversations.