Last year, the European Union decided to supply Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells within a year. However, Ukraine's Zelensky said at a press conference that the EU had actually delivered only 300,000 pieces. This news shocked Ukraine and also attracted widespread attention from the outside world. It turns out that there are three ways to use this batch of shells, in addition to the gratuitous transfer and the unannounced bilateral **, Ukraine also needs to pay for a part of the ammunition itself.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western countries have been providing military assistance to Ukraine. Zelensky believes that Ukraine is fighting for the security of Europe, so he believes that military assistance from Europe and the United States should be taken for granted. However, as time went on, the focus on the conflict gradually declined, and Western countries' support for Ukraine began to decrease. Especially after the Russian army seized the important town of eastern Ukraine, Zelensky felt unprecedented pressure.
Zelensky has publicly called on Western countries to increase aid, and he pointed out that the Ukrainian army is obviously at a disadvantage compared with the Russian army in terms of armament and other aspects. However,The delay in the delivery of all the 1 million artillery shells promised by the European Union has made Zelensky feel unacceptable. He believes that the ** aid of Western countries should have been gratuitous, and Ukraine should not have paid for it.
However, there are different views within the EU. Breton's statement shows that the EU must consider its own security while providing military assistance. In fact, due to the high cost of aiding Ukraine, the amount of EU aid to Ukraine has been significantly reduced. Last year, the EU lent 18 billion euros to Ukraine, but due to Hungary's opposition, only a 50 billion euro aid deal was finally passed, and the funds needed to be fully delivered to Ukraine over four years.
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, it is clear that the EU's assistance is not enough to meet Ukraine's needs. In addition, due to the widespread policy of "deindustrialization" in European countries, the industrial capacity of Europe is very low, which also limits the ability of the EU to supply military equipment to Ukraine. In this case, Breton's offer to let Ukraine use EU loans to buy shells supplied by the EU is undoubtedly a huge test for Zelensky.
Zelensky, of course, is not willing to accept such conditions,But if the Ukrainian army is unable to obtain more Western** equipment, the military situation in Ukraine will become even more severe. Ukraine's decline will be exposed at an accelerated pace, and the hope of reversing the passive situation will become dim. Faced with such a dilemma, Zelensky had to rethink Ukraine's strategic choices.
In the military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, Ukraine has always behaved very confidently because it has the support of the United States and the West. However,Zelensky does not seem to realize that as a "pawn", Ukraine will eventually have to pay the price for Western support. As the conflict continues, the challenges facing Ukraine are growing, and Zelensky's situation is becoming more and more difficult. Against this backdrop, Ukraine's future is fraught with uncertainty and challenges.
Ukraine's dilemma will not be solved overnight. Although Zelensky's voice is strong, the actual actions of the EU are far behind expectations. In this case, Ukraine has had to reassess its strategic direction and seek more international support to secure its footing in the conflict.
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Within the EU, too, there are different views on assistance to Ukraine. Some member states are concerned that excessive aid to Ukraine could harm their own economic interests and security. This divergence has created obstacles in the EU's decision-making, leading to a slow aid process. thisIn addition, as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, European countries are gradually paying less attention to this conflict, which also affects the level of support for Ukraine.
For Ukraine, in addition to military assistance, economic support is no less important. Although the EU has pledged a large amount of loans and aid, the actual funding has been much lower than expected. This is undoubtedly a huge blow to Ukraine, which desperately needs these funds to keep its economy functioning and rebuild the country.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine must look for other ways to strengthen itself. This could include strengthening cooperation with other countries, seeking more international assistance, and speeding up economic reforms at home. Only in this way will Ukraine be able to maintain a certain advantage in this ongoing conflict and strive for the final victory.
Overall, Zelensky's challenges are multifaceted, ranging from military dilemmas to economic and political challenges. In such a situation, Ukraine needs to develop its strategy more wisely and firmly to ensure that its interests are maintained in this complex international game. At the same time, the EU and other international organizations need to seriously consider their support strategies to ensure that aid arrives in time to truly help Ukraine tide over the storm.
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