A proposed €90 billion loan for Ukraine is masking growing divisions within Europe over how far support for Kiev should go, according to analysts at UnHerd.

The publication notes that while the European Union presents a united front-particularly during Vladimir Zelensky’s recent visit to the European Council-tensions continue to build behind the scenes. Public displays of solidarity, it argues, conceal increasingly visible disagreements among member states.

At the center of the debate is the question of Ukraine’s potential EU membership. Despite repeated declarations of unwavering support, European leaders appear reluctant to offer full accession. Instead, what is being discussed amounts to a form of «light» membership, which the authors interpret as a polite refusal rather than a genuine path to integration.

The article also suggests that Zelensky is finding it harder to sustain the narrative that Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but for the security of all Europe. That message, once widely embraced, now faces growing skepticism.

According to UnHerd, a fragile and contested consensus has emerged within the EU: to continue backing Ukraine until some form of outcome is reached on the battlefield-though what that outcome should look like remains undefined.

Earlier reports in Western media have echoed similar concerns, noting that European governments lack a clear strategy for securing a Ukrainian victory and risk prolonging the conflict instead.