Reuters: EU fears weakening of support for Ukraine after elections in France and Germany

European officials fear that support for Ukraine may decline if the critical parties “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) win in Germany and “National Association” in France. This is reported by Reuters following conversations with civil servants at the UN General Assembly.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris said the agency was monitoring political developments in Europe. He acknowledged that the election is one of the factors influencing the calculation of future support. At the same time, officials are trying to convince allies that the EU will be able to maintain support for Kiev in the event of changes in the policies of the participating countries.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that past political changes have not led to undesirable consequences, in particular for Ukraine. As an example, he cited the election in Italy, which defeated George Meloni. Stubb added that countries on NATO’s eastern flank will remain the backbone of support for Ukraine, even if enthusiasm elsewhere wanes.

France has been one of the strongest political supporters of Ukraine. However, the leader of the “National Association” Marine Le Pen said that if elected to the post of President, Paris will not provide financial assistance to Kiev. She explained this by a lack of funds. The AfD’s strengthening position in Germany has set a goal of restoring energy ties with Russia and criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s financial support for Ukraine. The aid is estimated at more than €12 billion.