The EU will provide another 500 million euros to supply arms and equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces. This was announced by the Council of EU member states on Wednesday in Brussels. This increases the funds available to 1.5 billion euros.
[Alle aktuellen Nachrichten zum russischen Angriff auf die Ukraine bekommen Sie mit der Tagesspiegel-App live auf ihr Handy. Hier für Apple- und Android-Geräte herunterladen]
A first package of 500 million euros had already been approved at the end of February, followed by another in April. According to the announcement, the money will be used to finance personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel, as well as weapons for defense purposes.
“As Russia prepares for an offensive in eastern Ukraine, it is crucial that we continue and increase our military support to Ukraine to defend its territory and people and prevent further suffering,” EU foreign policy chief Josep said Borell.
More on the Ukraine war on Tagesspiegel Plus:
The money for the military aid comes from the so-called European Peace Facility. It is a new EU financing instrument that can also be used to strengthen the capabilities of armed forces in partner countries.
[Alle aktuellen Entwicklungen im Ukraine-Krieg können Sie hier in unserem Newsblog verfolgen.]
For the period from 2021 to 2027, the peace facility is endowed with around five billion euros. According to Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD), Germany finances around a quarter of the EU support.
Russia accuses the West of exacerbating the conflict by supplying arms to Ukraine. “We see how dangerous our Western colleagues, including the European Union, are now acting,” said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently. (dpa)
