Why the EU’s true support for Ukraine is being assessed

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Good morning from Davos. It is -12 degrees along the Promenade, the snow is crisp and piled high, and the big beasts of the global elite are ready to schmooze and party earnestly discuss the world’s ills. Today we’ll hear speeches from Chinese Premier Li Qiang, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside many others.

Here, our man in Strasbourg reports on rising pressure for member states to replenish support for Ukraine, and our environment correspondent reveals a legal challenge against the commission’s belief that some aeroplanes and ships are “green”.

Guns and ammunition

EU member states are under increased pressure from both the bloc’s lawmakers and Brussels officials to make good on promises to keep providing Ukraine with the means to fight back against Russia’s invasion, writes Andy Bounds.

Context: The EU has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to defend Ukraine, since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. But weapons supplies from member states have dwindled over the past six months, and a €50bn financial support package from the EU budget is still being haggled over.

As part of efforts to address the weapons shortfall, the EU’s External Action Service — the bloc’s diplomatic arm — is conducting an audit of all military shipments to Ukraine from member states during the war, diplomats told the FT, with the aim to complete the assessment by the February 1 leaders’ summit.

That’s in response to a demand from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who, angered by other large countries doing less than Germany (the largest military donor to Ukraine in the EU by far), last week publicly ostracised those who are dragging their heels.

At the same time, the European parliament will pile on more pressure today when a large majority of members call on EU capitals to “live up to their promises” on military and financial aid.

The five biggest political groups, including the Greens and hard-right ECR, have signed the joint statement ahead of a debate on the topic in Strasbourg today.

It warns against “Ukraine fatigue” and calls for “effective and sustainable long-term military support”.

As one EU diplomat summed it up, the grinding stalemate on the front line in Ukraine meant right now was “a critical period . . . the time to stop restraining ourselves”.

“We’ve been too much self-restraining these past two years,” they added. “Very limited deliveries and very gradual ones.”

Nathalie Loiseau, the former French minister for Europe who chairs the parliament’s defence subcommittee, said: “We need to live up to our commitments and support Ukraine not only as long as it takes but also as much as it takes.

“We cannot allow Russia to win. Supporting Ukraine is our most obvious security guarantee,” she added.

Chart du jour: Weak man

Germany’s gross domestic product shrank by 0.3 per cent last year amid high inflation, rising interest rates and elevated energy costs. This turned Europe’s largest economy into one of the weakest performers in the world.

Taxing times

The EU’s taxonomy for climate-friendly investments is facing yet another legal challenge — this time for labelling some ships and planes as “green”, writes Alice Hancock.

Context: The taxonomy, Brussels’ catalogue of sustainable investments, aims to steer financing towards climate-friendly projects. But it has been challenged by NGOs and some countries for including certain gas and nuclear assets on its green list.

Today, five NGOs including Protect Our Winters, CLAW and Opportunity Green will file a legal complaint with the European Commission for also sticking a green label on “highly polluting” planes and ships, the NGOs said.

The legal challenge is a first step that could lead to court action at the European Court of Justice if the commission does not respond adequately to the concerns.

The campaigners argue that the taxonomy should set a “gold standard” that enables the most climate-friendly ventures to access finance. Including ships powered by liquefied natural gas and planes with “weak” fuel efficiency standards therefore undermines the overall aims of the taxonomy, the NGOs argue.

The most recent additions to the taxonomy apply from this month, and also include criteria for manufacturing and biodiversity protection.

Opportunity Green’s Carly Hicks described the additions regarding transport as “the worst kind of greenwashing”.

“Big cruise ships powered with fossil gas could obtain a green label, despite the fact that these ships leak methane into our atmosphere, which has disastrous consequences for the climate . . . this decision risks driving huge amounts of finance towards highly polluting activities,” Hicks said.

The commission did not respond to a request for comment.

What to watch today

1. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos, from 11.20am.

2. EU finance ministers meet in Brussels.

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