Explaining: EU aid, Merz’s visit, Russian provocations in Ukraine’s rear
AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION
On December 9, the Council of the European Union voted to allocate a tranche of approximately €4.2 billion to Ukraine.
● The aid, set to reach Ukraine in December, is provided within the framework of the EU's Ukraine Facility initiative, launched in February 2024.
● The funds will be directed towards strengthening Ukraine's macro-financial stability and ensuring social expenditure
● The total financial aid under the Ukraine Facility initiative for 2024–2027 will amount to €50 billion.
● The allocation of funds is conditional upon the successful and timely implementation of reforms that bring Ukraine closer to the EU.
● Ukraine has demonstrated its ability to carry out deep reforms and advance its path toward European integration, even during a full-scale war.
FRIEDRICH MERZ’S VISIT
On December 9, Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition German CDU/CSU bloc and a candidate for Chancellor of Germany, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
● Merz proposed creating a European contact group to discuss options for ending the Russian-Ukrainian war.
● The German opposition leader is convinced that allies must do everything possible to end the war quickly and coordinate efforts amid the change of power in the United States.
● Merz confirmed his readiness to provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles should he come to power in Germany.
● Ukraine supports a diplomatic path to achieving a just peace but emphasizes that Moscow currently shows no readiness for negotiations.
● To compel the aggressor to negotiate, the determination of partner countries to bolster Ukraine militarily is essential.
RUSSIAN PROVOCATIONS IN UKRAINE’S REAR
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police detained five arsonists operating under the guidance of Russian intelligence services.
● Russian curators "ordered" the perpetrators to set fire military vehicles, equipment of a mobile network operator, and the administrative building of a village council.
● Such incidents are part of a comprehensive enemy operation to destabilize Ukraine's rear.
● Lacking a robust network of agents in Ukraine, Russian intelligence resorts to simply bribing unaware citizens.
● The arson of military vehicles, as envisioned by Russian intelligence, is intended to sow discord between civilians and the military.
● Russian propaganda also seeks to portray such incidents as acts of "popular resistance" against "criminal military recruitment centers".
● Unable to overcome the resistance of Ukraine’s Defense Forces on the battlefield, Russia places its futile hopes on destabilize Ukraine’s rear.
