This morning in Toledo, Spain, EU defense ministers began deliberations on how to proceed with the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov will also participate in the informal meeting at the invitation of the Spanish Presidency.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is expected to use the meeting to call on EU member states to increase billions in military aid to Ukraine. A few weeks ago, the Spaniard was already discussing the sum of another 20 billion euros in military aid for the next four years.
“Of course, all eyes are understandably on Ukraine. But we must not close our eyes to what is happening in the rest of the world”, said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) at the start of the EU meeting.
There are so many pain points for which appropriate resources must be made available, she said. Tanner referred, for example, to the Western Balkans and West and Central Africa. Tanner, like Borrell, was concerned about the recent military coup in Gabon.
The military coup in Niger is also a problem
The situation in Niger will also be the focus of talks in Toledo following the military coup at the end of July.
While the EU is pushing for a diplomatic solution to the crisis triggered by the dismissal of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is threatening military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger.
If conditions are right, Defense Minister Tanner could also imagine an EU mission in Niger with Austrian participation, as before in Mali.