MADRID, October 5./TASS/. The European Union cannot make up the shortfall left after the US cut aid to Ukraine in its stopgap budget, and thus Brussels is waiting for Washington to reconsider its decision and once again turn on the aid spigot for Kiev, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said upon arriving at the European Political Community summit in Granada, Spain.

"Certainly, Europe cannot replace the US," Borrell said in reply to a question. "Europe is increasing the support, on the table we have [a] proposal for 50 billion euros for the civilian and economic side (for 2024-2027 - TASS), and 20 billion for the military side (for the same period - TASS)," he said. "And we did that before, waiting for the US to make decisions. Certainly we can do more," but the US is irreplaceable in terms of aid for Ukraine, the top EU diplomat stressed.

"I was in Kiev some days ago, just at the moment when we knew that the US Congress had not included support for Ukraine in the big deal about the budget, you know - to avoid the shutdown. That was certainly not expected and is certainly not a good news. But we hope that is not going to be a definite position of the US. Ukraine needs the support of the European Union, <…> but also the support of the US," he went on to say. "My hope, the hope of the Ukrainians <…> is to look for the ways for the US to retain this issue and continue supporting Ukraine," Borrell added.

Following the junket by 23 of the 27 EU member states’ foreign ministers to Kiev on October 2, at which the Polish and Hungarian foreign ministers were notably absent, EU countries came no closer to reaching agreement on further funding for Ukraine. Borrell said in Kiev that he expected a decision before the year-end.