Leaders demand EU gets real about arming Ukraine

Europe needs a collective effort to arm Ukraine for the long term, five key EU leaders said Wednesday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and four prime ministers — Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, the Czech Republic's Petr Fiala, Estonia's Kaja Kallas and the Netherlands' Mark Rutte — made the argument in an open letter published Wednesday by the Financial Times.

Acknowledging that the EU will have "fallen short" of its goal to send 1 million shells to Ukraine before March, the leaders said that "our efforts must not wither," as Kyiv's troops continue to fend off Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.

"The EU and its member states must renew their efforts and step up their military support," the leaders wrote, and "it must continue to be a collective effort.

"We call on friends and partners of Ukraine to recommit to sustainable long-term military support for Ukraine as a joint European responsibility," they added. "Only then will Ukraine be able to succeed in its defence against Russian aggression."

The letter comes amid mounting calls from European leaders to ramp up military aid to Ukraine, as support from the U.S. has ground to a halt due to partisan deadlock in Congress, where Republican lawmakers are reticent to continue funding Kyiv's war effort.

EU leaders will gather for a crucial summit in Brussels on Thursday, where they are expected to reaffirm the bloc's support to Ukraine, and discuss a €50 billion aid package to Kyiv.

Germany's Scholz has been the most vocal leader in calling on his European counterparts to do more to arm Ukraine.

"The arms deliveries for Ukraine planned so far by the majority of EU member states are by all means too small," the German chancellor said earlier this month. "We need higher contributions."

Germany has sent €17.1 billion in military commitments to Kyiv — more than any other European country, according to the Kiel Institute, which keeps track of aid commitments.

The U.K. comes in second at €6.6 billion, with Poland third at €3 billion.

France, which has been vocal about the need to reform European defense so the EU can support Ukraine even without the U.S., has so far sent Kyiv €500 million in military aid.