Why the EU frets over the prospect of fading support for Ukraine

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Good morning. A scoop to start: The European Commission is aiming to unfreeze billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary in the next two months, in a move that could win Budapest’s support for an increase in the EU’s shared budget.

Today, I explain why Brussels is nervous about western support for Ukraine going soft, while our media freedom expert asks whether all EU countries really want to protect journalists from interference.

Mind the gap

Yesterday’s historic meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv was originally planned as a symbolic show of support for Ukraine’s plight. Last weekend’s events in the US and Europe meant it was far more important.

Context: The US Congress late on Saturday axed $6bn in Ukraine aid from a short-term government funding package. On the same day in Slovakia, Robert Fico, who has called for an end to military support to Kyiv, won the most votes in parliamentary elections.

Thus a gathering envisaged to merely demonstrate EU backing for Ukraine became one dominated by questions about the longevity of it.

Asked about the mood, one participant replied: “Quite worried. Worried also that this could be a foretaste of what could happen in the future.”

The EU “cannot” fill the funding gap left by Washington, they added: “Let’s see if the US will come up with a solution.”

While the US has provided the lions’ share of western military aid to Ukraine, the EU is by far the largest provider of other financial support. Kyiv needs both if it is to fight off Russia’s invasion and keep its government functioning.

“[It is] annoying and dysfunctional,” said one EU official of the US decision. “[But] this seems to be a transitional, hopefully shortlived, thing, so I see no need to step up on our side.”

Let’s hope so, because the EU isn’t exactly rolling in spare cash with which to do so.

Member states are still arguing over a proposed top-up to the bloc’s budget. Until they find unanimous agreement, Brussels can’t fund its own €50bn aid package for Ukraine for the next four years, let alone plug a $6bn hole. (And Fico isn’t even in power yet.)

Officials reckon that Ukraine is well funded to the end of this year, at least.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat who chaired the Kyiv meeting, dismissed talk of western divisions. Speaking afterwards he declared “a clear commitment of the European Union to Ukraine and its continued support in all dimensions”.

But Borrell also referred to plans for a €5bn fund to finance weapons supplies to Ukraine in 2024. The cynics among you might notice that’s different to the €20bn, four-year fund proposed over the summer.

Chart du jour: Seemingly clean

As sustainability investment ratings have ballooned, it is increasingly unclear what they actually mean. Regulators in Europe and elsewhere are determined to make the ratings process more transparent and ask questions about whose interests they really serve.

Hold the front page

EU parliament members today vote on the bloc’s first comprehensive rules to protect journalists and control media ownership, writes Ian Johnston.

But how much media freedom can lawmakers and member states agree on?

Context: The Media Freedom Act aims to protect media pluralism and secure editorial independence from political interference, but media groups have warned that some proposed rules do not sufficiently protect journalists from state surveillance.

Parliament’s text is expected to pass today, but stumbling blocks remain in negotiations with the EU member states before the law can come into force — namely regarding the question of spying and online content moderation.

In June, member states supported French proposals that underline national authorities’ right to spy on journalists. Diplomats have defended this, saying that the clauses merely reaffirm that the EU cannot legislate on national security matters.

But the detention last month of French journalist Ariane Lavrilleux for reporting on French intelligence services’ activities in Egypt is a reminder of why parliamentarians and media groups oppose sweeping surveillance by authorities.

Pushing back, MEPs had drafted strict rules to offer “the highest level of protection possible” from spyware, said Ramona Strugariu, an MEP working on the law in parliament.

Another point of contention regards plans for media to benefit from special content moderation rules on online platforms. Proponents say this would prevent social media from taking down legitimate journalism; critics warn rogue actors could use the protections to share disinformation.

EU officials are concerned that parliament’s proposals to strengthen those protections could conflict with the bloc’s digital rules: “It will require further clarification,” one said.

The Spanish EU presidency, which is in charge of moderating the final talks, wants to complete negotiations by the end of November.

But with these thorny issues to iron out, the timetable could easily slip.

What to watch today

1. Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič is grilled by the European parliament’s environment committee in Strasbourg, at 0830.

2. EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell addresses the parliament, at 1600.

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