EU foreign ministers today agreed an extra €500m in funding for arms supplies to Ukraine, bringing the total amount of aid to Kyiv to €2.5bn since Russia’s February 24 invasion.
“Today at the meeting of EU foreign ministers, a political agreement was reached on the fifth tranche of military aid to Ukraine,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde.
Through the agreement, EU countries will continue to jointly buy equipment and supplies for the Ukrainian army, which the EU says should be used for defense purposes.
The EU had approved the first tranche of aid to Ukraine soon after Russia’s invasion, in what EU officials have described as a landmark for a bloc wary of getting involved in military action beyond its borders.
However, the total amount foreseen for the so-called European Peace Mechanism, the financial fund outside the European budget through which military aid is provided to Ukraine, is 5 billion euros.
With the agreement on the additional 500 million euros, the fund has already reached half of its capacity, but when asked about it, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that it is quite possible that its limit will be increased.
“I’m sure (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is counting on democratic fatigue … He thinks democracies are weak. No. European societies have no room for fatigue,” Borrell said.
For his part, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also called on Europeans to remain focused, saying that even as governments and parliaments head into summer recess, “Russian troops do not plan to take time off from further attacking Ukraine.” .
Source: Capital
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