Borrell urges increasing military aid to Ukraine at EU summit
Photo: Josep Borrell (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Leaders of the 27 EU member states at today's summit should increase military assistance to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility (EPF), according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
"My proposal is to increase the military support to Ukraine inside the European Peace Facility. I will urge them [the leaders] to reach an agreement as soon as possible because there is no more time," he says.
According to him, Russia's war against Ukraine is the biggest threat to European security. "We can and we should do more to support Ukraine... This is the biggest threat to European security, that is why if we don’t do it, we will pay a higher price," Borrell adds.
European Peace Fund
Earlier, Brussels proposed to allocate 5 billion euros annually over the next four years to support Ukraine through the European Peace Fund. With these funds, Brussels wants to help EU member states cover their costs of purchasing and transferring weapons such as ammunition, missiles, and tanks to Ukraine.
Some EU countries other than Germany, especially in the east of the bloc, are pushing for an expansion of the EPF.
At the February 1 summit, the main issue will be the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine of €50 billion in 2024-2027. In December, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed this decision.
