【Wen/Observer Net, Chen Sijia】With the arrival of winter, Russia has been slowly advancing on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Ukraine is gradually falling into a more unfavorable situation. While Ukrainian President Zelensky is busy meeting with European leaders to discuss peace negotiations, Oleksa Hertmanchuk, head of the Ukrainian delegation to NATO, has not forgotten to appeal to Europe, hoping that Europe will provide an additional 1 billion euros by the end of this year to help Ukraine purchase US weapons.

According to Bloomberg News on December 1, Hertmanchuk said that the "Ukraine Priority Needs List" mechanism proposed by NATO is very effective. Since its launch this summer, this mechanism has provided 75% of the "Patriot" air defense systems and 90% of other air defense systems for Ukraine. She said: "We are very grateful for our allies' new contributions, which allow Ukraine to continuously receive equipment through the 'Ukraine Priority Needs List'."

The NATO "Ukraine Priority Needs List" mechanism was launched in August this year. According to Ukraine's request, it creates a list of equipment and ammunition, which is confirmed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, and NATO member states can fund the procurement of US-made weapons through voluntary donations.

Hertmanchuk called on Europe to provide an additional 1 billion euros by the end of the year to help Ukraine purchase more US weapons. She told Bloomberg that the ongoing peace talks should not be seen as a signal to "abandon support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia." To support Ukraine, Europe should immediately reach an agreement on a loan plan and use frozen Russian assets to provide funding for Ukraine. "Europeans can do much more than draft their own plans," she said.

Oleksa Hertmanchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to NATO, Social Media

The EU is considering using Russian central bank assets frozen in Europe to provide a large loan to Ukraine, but EU member states have not yet reached an agreement on the specific details of the plan. It is expected that this plan will be a key topic of discussion at the EU summit on December 18.

The EU held a defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on the 1st, and several EU countries pledged to continue supporting Ukraine. Dutch Defense Minister Luukje Breukink announced before the meeting that the Netherlands would allocate an additional 250 million euros to help Ukraine purchase US equipment such as F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems. Germany reiterated that it will allocate 11.5 billion euros by 2026 for aid to Ukraine.

Bloomberg pointed out that due to US President Trump's unwillingness to continue providing financial assistance to Ukraine, many European countries have slowed down their participation in the "Ukraine Priority Needs List" mechanism. Trump's "28-point Peace Plan" has also caught Europe off guard. This plan is seen as "favoring Russia," deepening European countries' hesitation about aiding Ukraine.

Recently, Russia has been slowly advancing on the front lines and increasing its air strikes on Ukraine, and Ukraine will face a "difficult winter." Russian President Putin announced on the 27th that the key town of Krasnyi Luch (known as Pokrovsk in Ukraine) in the Donetsk region has been completely surrounded, with 70% of the area under Russian control.

The US "Politico" website published an article on November 14, stating that increasing military pressure has led to Ukraine's finances being "tight." If Ukraine cannot obtain funds from the EU or other institutions, it will have to cut spending starting in April next year.

Trump is trying to push for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, but there are disagreements among the US, Russia, and Ukraine on several important terms of the peace plan. The terms accepted by Ukraine often make it impossible for Russia to accept, and vice versa.

The US and Ukrainian delegations began a new round of talks on the US-proposed Russia-Ukraine "Peace Plan" on November 30 in Florida, USA. US Secretary of State Rubio said after the talks that the meeting was "productive," but there is still a lot of work to be done, and the US government will strengthen diplomatic efforts in the coming week.

Trump said on November 30 on Air Force One during an interview with the media that the negotiations on the Ukraine issue were progressing smoothly. He said that Ukraine is facing "some tricky little problems" and hinted that both Russia and Ukraine hope to end the conflict.

Ukrainian President Zelensky visited France on December 1 local time and met with French President Macron to discuss peace negotiations and other issues. Zelensky said: "There are still some tricky issues to resolve, and this will be a very important day." Macron wrote on social media that "peace efforts are still continuing." It is expected that Zelensky will visit Ireland on the 2nd.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Witkowsky has also set off for Russia. Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov announced on the 1st that Witkowsky will meet with Putin on the afternoon of the 2nd local time, and Putin is preparing for this meeting.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7578897706404446726/

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