EU agrees 5 billion euro boost for Ukraine military aid fund

Ukrainian service members prepare a D-20 howitzer before firing toward Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine March 11, 2024. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to provide 5 billion euros ($5.48 billion) for military aid to Ukraine as part of a revamp of an EU-run assistance fund, handing Kyiv a timely boost as its forces struggle against Russia's invasion.

Ambassadors from the EU's 27 member countries agreed to the overhaul of the European Peace Facility (EPF) fund at a meeting in Brussels after months of wrangling, with EU heavyweights France and Germany at the centre of much of the debate.