Borrell asks EU member states to provide ammunition to Ukraine from their stockpiles

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell asked the EU defense ministers to provide ammunition to Ukraine from their stockpiles.

Borrell made a corresponding statement at a press conference following the meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“After listening to my colleagues, [the] Foreign Affairs Ministers, yesterday – I sent a letter to all defense ministers which they will be receiving today, asking them to provide ammunitions to Ukraine from their stockpiles and from the contracts they have already [contracted] with the industry, giving Ukraine [the] priority,” Borrell said.

He noted that the EU would have a defense minister meeting at the beginning of March, underscoring that defense remains a competence of the EU Member States, and it is up to the defense ministers to take decisions on arms supplies to Ukraine. 

"The key word is to coordinate, speed up, and increase our support [for Ukraine]. It is necessary in order to make the rule of law prevail over the rule of gun, the rule of force. And it is the only way that Ukraine can win this war: to speed up, to increase, and to coordinate better our support. Because the war shows its awful face with bombing hospitals, starving entire cities to death. This is what Russia is doing instead of taking a step towards a ceasefire," the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy stressed.

Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear power, he noted. Despite this, it has violated the UN Charter by invading a peaceful neighbor.

"In line with UN Charter, Ukraine has a sovereign right to defend itself against this unfounded aggression. The international community, we, have the right to support the aggressed. Ukraine needs all the support we can provide, including weapons and ammunition. They need them more than ever," Borrell stressed.

He pointed to the historical nature of today's trilateral meeting. Since the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU and NATO have been standing together not only in condemning Russian aggression but also working together to provide Ukraine with the capacity to defend itself.

"Today we reaffirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and its right to self-defense. Our resolve has been strong from the beginning [of Russia’s aggression]. And we will continue doing so,” Borrell said, noting that security assistance to Ukraine must be accelerated.

As reported, on February 21, a first-ever tripartite NATO-EU-Ukraine meeting was held in Brussels.