A crew of foreign ministers from various European Union nations made an unscheduled trip to Kyiv today. They are due to meet with Zelensky in what’s being described as a show of the EU’s “unwavering support” for Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion. They are also issuing a statement of support for “President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposed peace formula,” though none of them seemed to know the precise details of any such “formula.” But from the sound of the press releases some of the visitors put out, they are concerned about the lack of funding for Ukraine in America’s recently passed continuing resolution and some wavering by other member nations. (Associated Press)

Some of Europe’s top diplomats gathered Monday in Kyiv in a display of support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion as signs emerge of political strain in Europe and the United States about the 19-month-old war.

European Union foreign ministers converged on the Ukrainian capital for an unannounced informal meeting that officials said would review the bloc’s support for Ukraine and discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposed peace formula.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the foreign ministers’ first joint meeting outside EU borders signaled that the 27-nation bloc’s support is “unwavering” and underscored the EU’s commitment to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed this morning to have been in touch with both Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington since the latest bill passed without funding for Ukraine. (That was fast, eh?) He referred to the continuing resolution as an “incident” and not a “system.” He claimed that he was speaking to congressional leaders about the bill to “make sure that it does not repeat again under any circumstances.”

Oh, really? Specifically which Republicans was he speaking with? Last time I checked, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister doesn’t have any authority to dictate appropriations in the United States Congress. Sometimes the person with their hand out needs to be a little more mindful of the concerns of those who have thus far gone above and beyond in terms of generosity.

It’s worth noting that the Foreign Ministers of Hungary and Poland didn’t make the trip. That may or may not signal something, but there have been increased tensions in those countries over the endless aid flowing into Ukraine and the scant progress shown in the counter-offensive.  Similarly, as we discussed earlier today, elections held in Slovakia this weekend returned power to a very pro-Russia leader in Parliament who has vowed to not send Ukraine any military aid.

The ministers from Denmark, Germany, and Luxembourg were all quick to chime in about the need to keep up the “unwavering support” for Ukraine and to send a “strong trans-Atlantic signal.” When they start talking about trans-Atlantic signals, it’s a clear reference to the United States. We should point out (and not for the first time) that it’s pretty easy to talk about the need for this type of support when you’re not the ones shelling out all of the money.

We’ve sent $73 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since the invasion began. That’s only $16 billion less than the entire European Union combined, and the vast majority of their contributions have been financial and humanitarian, while we do all of the heavy lifting with the military equipment. The next closest behind us is Germany, which has managed to pony up $22 billion, primarily in military aid. Meanwhile, Denmark (whose Foreign Minister seems to be lecturing us today) has kicked in four billion.

I understand this trip was primarily a photo op and a chance to promote solidarity or whatever. But I’m growing increasingly tired of some of these EU nations continuing to make promises that they expect America to keep.