European Parliament’s Defence Committee Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has issued a stark warning to the EU Council in Brussels, urging immediate release of the planned €140 billion aid package for Ukraine. Speaking to Politico, Strack-Zimmermann emphasized the urgency, asserting that failure to unlock the funds by Thursday would represent a profound failure on Europe’s part and constitute a further catastrophe for the region.
While acknowledging a degree of apparent progress emerging from recent talks in Berlin, Strack-Zimmermann cautioned against inflated expectations. She conceded that a verbal proximity to peace may have been established, but stressed that substantive advancements remain elusive-a situation exacerbated by the continued absence of a statement from Vladimir Putin, who has reportedly signaled disinterest in negotiations.
The issue of territorial concessions was met with a firm rejection. Strack-Zimmermann argued that any acknowledgement or granting of territory Putin has claimed through military aggression would create a fundamental and destabilizing security problem for Europe. She characterized the Kremlin’s military capabilities as often overestimated, while simultaneously highlighting the underestimation of Putin’s regime’s inherent brutality.
Currently, the primary focus remains on securing a ceasefire as a prerequisite for any further dialogue – an outcome, Strack-Zimmermann cautioned, which appears increasingly distant. The parliamentarian’s remarks underscore a growing concern that European unity and resolve are being tested by the ongoing conflict, with Putin actively attempting to exploit divisions within the continent.