EU will continue to support Ukraine, no matter what it takes - Borrell
Commenting on the EU Council’s decision to approve €5 billion in military aid to Ukraine, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that the EU would continue to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia, no matter what the cost.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
"The EU is fulfilling its obligations. The Ukraine Assistance Fund turns our words into action. With the help of the fund, we will continue to support Ukraine in defending itself against Russia's aggressive war, no matter what it costs or how much we need," the EU Council press service quoted Borrell as saying.
The Council noted that the Fund will allow the EU to continue to support the growing needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the provision of both lethal and non-lethal military equipment and training.
"The Fund will seek to maximise EU added value in terms of providing more and better operational support to Ukraine, complementing bilateral efforts by EU member states and focusing on increasing joint procurement from the European and Norwegian defence industries," the EU Council said.
In addition, today the Council also decided to improve the rules governing the Fund to make it more sustainable and adapt to the new international environment. "The improved rules will build on well-functioning national procurement structures as well as existing framework contracts, using both the approaches of leading countries and the European Defence Agency, and including joint procurement of essential defence equipment from the European defence industry and Norway, including small and medium-sized enterprises, while ensuring flexibility in supply chains that may include operators established or with production facilities outside the EU or Norway," the Council explains.
Earlier, a senior EU official, speaking to journalists on condition of anonymity, named three main components for which the €5 billion will be allocated. "The first is the continuation of the EU Military Assistance Mission, the second is the continuation of reimbursement for supplies from our own stockpiles and unilateral purchases of military equipment available on the market, and the third, and most important, is the supply of military equipment jointly purchased from the European and Norwegian defence industries," he listed.
The official also announced the specific amounts that will be used to finance these components. "EUR 0.5 billion will go to the military support mission, EUR 1 billion to joint purchases from the European military-industrial complex and Norway, and EUR 3.5 billion will cover other supplies - supplies from stocks and unilateral purchases," he said.
