Experts: EU loan will help Ukraine resist for a couple more years
According to Estonian military experts, the planned €90 billion EU loan will enable Ukraine to hold out for a few more years. However, with the U.S.'s focus elsewhere, they believe EU has shown neither sufficient strength nor unity in support of Ukraine.
The €90 billion in loans represents approximately 0.5 percent of the EU's gross domestic product (GDP). According to Estonian MEP Riho Terras, who is a member of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament, if the loan comes through, Ukraine will be able to hold out for another two years.
"The situation is clearly difficult at the moment. However, the whole country has been kept afloat by European support. If this €90 billion loan is taken out and secured for Ukraine, then Ukraine will be able to hold out for the next year and the year after that," said MEP Riho Terras, who is a member of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament.
Reserve Col. Hannes Toomsalu said the EU money will fill the gap in Ukraine's national budget though in terms of weapons, less may be available to buy.
"It has been said that the money in Ukraine's budget will run out in April. That probably means salaries and everything else. If you look at how the Europeans are able to produce weapons, then according to the contracts that have been made public, those weapons are only just starting to arrive. Whether they can be bought anywhere at all is another question," said Reserve Col. Toomsalu.
The U.S.'s defense budget includes $400 million for arming Ukraine. At the same time, the U.S. has turned its attention to China and is now supplying Taiwan with weapons.
"We don't know what the U.S. and Trump are really thinking, or how long he is willing to be Putin's errand boy," said Terras. "In fact, it would be important for the Americans to show who is the boss in the world. And Russia is definitely not that today," said Terras.
At the same time, Russia's economic situation is also nothing to brag about. The increase in Russia's military budget is starting to have a visible impact.
"Russia's budget is increasing, but analysts have written that it is only due to loans and internal restructuring that they are able to put this additional money into the budget. In other words, taxes and prices in Russia are rising," said Reserve Col. Toomsalu.
Although Ukraine is increasingly exhausted by the war, Reserve Col. Toomsalu believes the Russians would not remain in Pokrovsk for so long if their superiority were actually decisive.
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Editor: Michael Cole, Mari Peegel
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
