EU ministers agree on new EUR 500M tranche of military aid for Ukraine - Borrell

The Council of the EU at the level of foreign ministers reached a political agreement on the allocation of the next tranche of military assistance to Ukraine within the framework of the European Peace Facility in the amount of another EUR 500 million.

That’s according to EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who spoke at a press conference in Brussels following the EU Foreign Affairs Council, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The ministers unanimously agreed “on the need to continue to stand firmly with Ukraine and to lend Ukraine all of our support in its fight for freedom and independence,” the top diplomat said.

“Ukraine needs more arms – we will provide them. The war will continue – we will continue supporting (Ukraine - ed.) That is why I proposed the next tranche from the European Peace Facility, allocating EUR 500 million more. It has been a political agreement on supporting this proposal. The decision will be taken over the next days. Today, the ministers agreed on that," said Josep Borrell.

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The High Representative noted that the war in Ukraine continues, and today's meeting of European ministers was mainly devoted to the discussion of Russian aggression against Ukraine. During the meeting, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, joined the ministers via teleconference, to brief the European partners on the latest developments.

"His description shows that the situation on the ground continues being dramatic. Day by day, Russia continues launching missiles, targeting civilian infrastructure, causing dozens of civilian deaths every day. We are terrified by the violence of the Russian aggression against civilian people in Ukraine. And there are also disturbing reports about the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war by the Russian troops," said Josep Borrell.

He emphasized the determination of the ministers to continue providing Ukraine with all the necessary assistance in its fight against the Russian invasion.