All 27 countries of the European Union supported the supply of arms to Ukraine, including Hungary and Bulgaria. About it said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell on the results of the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU member states.
According to Borrell, the meeting resolved the issue of providing Ukraine with 1.5 billion euros for weapons. It is necessary to go through the parliamentary ratification of two or three more countries, but this is a procedural problem.
He was asked the question: has the behavior of Hungary and Bulgaria changed – the countries that refused to help Ukraine with weapons?
“These countries participate in the financing of weapons provided by the European Union as member states. It is not true that they do not participate. If they did not participate, it would not be possible, because decisions are taken unanimously. Hungary and Romania, all 27 member states were unanimous,” Borrell said.
He stressed that Hungary and Bulgaria contribute their share of the 1.5 billion euros that the EU gives to Ukraine.
“Hungary, as I know, does not allow weapons to enter its territory, but that’s another matter. Hungary pays its share, so it participates in arming Ukraine,” Borrell said.
He added that many EU countries help Ukraine from their own budgets.
“There are countries that have spent more than 300 million euros. There are countries that have spent the equivalent of a third of their defense budget,” the head of European diplomacy said.
Borrell added that he could not yet name the exact amount of money that the EU countries are giving to help Ukraine.
“Don’t get hung up on one and a half billion. This is the part that we finance from a fund that is not in the European budget … But I assure you, there is much more money. And if it is not enough, we will add more,” Borrell said.
The head of European diplomacy stressed that the military assistance that the EU will provide to Ukraine will not be symbolic.
“From a military point of view, since we will not interfere in the war, the only way to help the Ukrainians is to provide them with the necessary equipment so that they can fight … We will continue to do this, using the means we have and will try to ensure that they necessary… Yes, this is not symbolic at all,” the politician said.
According to Borrell, the ministerial meeting also discussed the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on oil and gas. The final decision has not yet been made.
“It is important to distinguish between oil and gas. Last year, in 2021, the oil import bill was four times larger due to gas. We are talking about 80 billion euros on the one hand and 20 billion euros on the other. It is important to start with oil,” – said the head of EU diplomacy.
The EU foreign ministers also discussed a possible Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, war crimes by Russians, the situation in Mariupol, and the spread of disinformation and propaganda by Russia.
Read also: Borrell to Zelensky: We will do everything so that you get the weapons you need to win
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