At the top of the agenda for the meeting of defense ministers in Brussels on Tuesday is the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The EU’s responses to growing security and defense policy challenges will also be discussed, such as the launch of the rapid reaction force, as well as the provision of ammunition and additional military aid to Ukraine. Austria is represented by Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).
The meeting begins with a working breakfast with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. The Rapid Deployment Capability is expected to be operational in 2025. The plan is for 5,000 troops to provide the EU with a faster response to crises. According to Brussels diplomats, the supply of ammunition to Ukraine is not going according to plan: around a third of the million munitions planned until 2024 have already been made available. The objective may therefore not be achievable. It is also unlikely that EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell’s proposal to mobilize an additional €20 billion in military aid for Ukraine between 2024 and 2027 will be implemented quickly. It is viewed critically by some Member States and is likely to be reviewed.