May 24, 2023
1 min read

Rift among EU defence ministers over new military aid to Ukraine

Borrell said EU countries had already provided Ukraine with 2,20,000 artillery shells and 1,300 missiles since March….reports Asian Lite News

The defence ministers of the EU member states have failed to reach an agreement on new military aid to Ukraine, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said here.

Borrell said after Tuesday’s EU defence ministers’ meeting that the overwhelming majority of member states had backed a proposal to increase the European Peace Facility budget by 3.5 billion euros ($3.77 billion), although he stressed that not all of it will be used to assist Ukraine.

“I still don’t have unanimity on this, and it’s still being discussed,” he said, adding that he expected the remaining “hurdles” to be surmounted soon. He recalled that more than 10 billion euros in military support have already been provided to Ukraine.

Borrell said EU countries had already provided Ukraine with 2,20,000 artillery shells and 1,300 missiles since March. These alone were worth 800 million euros and the EU was on track to provide one billion euros worth of ammunition, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Our aim is to provide one million projectiles over the next 12 months,” he said, adding that the EU had already trained 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers and was on track to train 30,000 by the end of the year.

He said that as part of a three-pronged strategy, member states are being asked to provide ammunition from their own stocks. There is also an effort for the joint procurement of 155 mm calibre ammunition and to boost the capability of European industry to manufacture the necessary ammunition.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, attended the meeting and briefed ministers on the latest developments in the conflict in Ukraine.

Borrell welcomed the decision to initiate training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. He said the training created a positive momentum that will eventually lead to the deployment of these jets in Ukraine.

“I am glad that pilot training has already started, and I hope that soon we will be able to provide this weapon to Ukraine,” he added prior to the start of the meeting in Brussels.

ALSO READ: Meta fined a €1.2 bn over European data transfers

Previous Story

Jennifer Lawrence wears flip flops on Cannes red carpet

Next Story

Shivani exhibits ‘classic sophistication’ at Cannes

Latest from -Top News

Is Bangladesh cosying up to Beijing and Islamabad?

The Kunming gathering appears to mark the beginning of a dangerous geopolitical maneuver. Behind the diplomatic curtain, efforts to forge a strategic bloc seem to be underway—one that not only threatens regional

UAE rolls out red carpet for Indian start-ups

MoU signed with IIT Bombay’s SINE as CEPA Start-up Series aims to accelerate market access for Indian ventures In a bid to bolster cross-border entrepreneurship and innovation, the UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC),

Fuel switch mystery in Air India horror crash

Cockpit voice recordings, fuel switch anomalies and a possible overlooked advisory emerge in early findings The preliminary investigation into the crash of Air India flight AI171, which went down shortly after take-off

‘Kill and Dump’ Haunts Balochistan Again

The latest killings have reignited accusations of extrajudicial executions and the use of counterterrorism laws to cover up custodial deaths in Balochistan….reports Asian Lite News Concerns have deepened across Balochistan following the

‘ASEAN Expands, But Keeps Its Soul’

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan urged ASEAN to uphold its unity and strategic resolve amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and mounting external pressures…reports Asian Lite News Consensus and inclusivity will remain the cornerstones
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Ukraine standoff: EU ready with contingency plan

EU has reaffirmed its full and unquestionable support to Ukraine

US Senate passes resolution for Ukraine

The resolution calls on US President Joe Biden to impose