The 27 European Union foreign ministers, meeting today in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council, have given the political go-ahead for a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine worth €500 million under the European Peace Facility. This was announced by the rotating Swedish Council Presidency. The formal decision, diplomatic sources stress, will instead be taken by a future Coreper (the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU).
“The tank issue is important, but the level of military aid decided at the Ramstein meeting must be taken into account,” EU foreign policy high representative Josep Borrell said at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. “The main note that emerged from our discussion is that Germany will not block countries that choose to send tanks.”
For its part, Hungary has announced its support for the new tranche of military aid to Kyiv after resisting the go-ahead in recent days.
“Any decision that could lead to a prolongation of the war is against our interests and therefore we do not consider it right or a good idea to increase arms supplies, but we do not block the implementation of the relevant EU decision,” explained Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on the fringes of the External Council. The head of Hungarian diplomacy then focused on the tenth package of sanctions against Russia, stating that the European Commission’s proposal on the subject was “quite advanced” and “supported by the majority of member states”. Szijjártó then reiterated Budapest’s opposition to new restrictive measures against the Kremlin and bemoaned the fact that the EU foreign ministers’ meeting was “in the same belligerent climate as last year”. “We’re talking about arms deliveries and sanctions, not about peace,” attacked the minister, branding the restrictive measures that had been adopted so far as a “failed experiment.”
could not stop the Russian war in Ukraine.
“The European countries that directly or indirectly contribute to flooding Ukraine with weapons are responsible for this, and the Ukrainian people will pay for this pseudo-support,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the request of the Interfax news agency possible delivery of German ones Leopard tanks over third countries like Poland. While Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov assured this The Russian Armed Forces will “crumble” all weapons and military assets that Western countries will supply to Ukraine. “Russia’s opponents – he added – continue to raise the stakes, but as we have firmly said on numerous occasions, the goals of the special military operation will be achieved.” For his part, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that “the world nearing the risk of a third world war in the face of aggressive preparations against Russia”. “The special operation being carried out” in Ukraine “was a forced and extreme measure, a reaction to the preparation of aggression by the United States of America and its satellites. It is obvious that the world is facing the threat of a third party approaching world war for what happened,” he said. It was confirmed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said the war between Russia and the West was “no longer hybrid” but “almost real”.
Meanwhile, Kyiv continues to insist on the need to get tanks, and most importantly, the modern German Leopard 2s. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said that “we need several hundred tanks, not 10-20. Our goal is the 1991 borders and punishing the enemy who will pay for the crimes”. Poland has announced that it will ask Germany for permission to send leopards
Ukraine. This was announced by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said yesterday that Berlin would “not oppose” a Polish will to send tanks to Kyiv, but stressed that “for the time being” no application for a permit had been asked ” from Warsaw, which had to make an official request to Germany.
To send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, “we still want to form a coalition of states, although Germany might not be there,” Morawiecki said, adding that Germany currently has 350 “active” Leopard 2 units and there would be over 200 of them in the deposits. “For this reason, Berlin could really help Ukraine,” stressed Morawiecki, who said it was a fight to defend security and peace in Europe.
For his part, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Italy was “not part of the debate about sending tanks to Ukraine”. Speaking on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council, Tajani underlined that “Italy has now jointly committed with the French to supply missile defense systems and work in this direction will continue.” “The Council reiterated its support for Ukraine and the EU political entity and we will do everything we can to ensure that it can defend itself against Russian aggression and Italy will do its part, assuming that.” the ultimate goal is peace while avoiding Ukraine’s capitulation,” Tajani said. “The line is meant to be a closed line of Europe because the division plays into Russia’s hands, but then there may be some details that differ “, he added.
In the meantime, the Bundeswehr has started to transfer the first two of the three squadrons of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Poland. This was reported by the German daily newspaper “Welt”. Three convoys left Gnoien (Rostock district).
with 40 vehicles and 150 soldiers, writes the newspaper. Anti-aircraft systems are deployed near the city
Zamość in south-eastern Poland, where the convoys are expected on Wednesday afternoon. From there it is around 60 kilometers to the Ukrainian border and 110 kilometers to the Ukrainian city of Lemberg. The Bundeswehr explained that the purpose of the transfer was to protect Polish airspace and strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. Germany has offered Patriot air defense systems to Poland after two men were killed after a missile landed on Polish territory last November.
ANSA agency
Federal Minister Baerbock: “Ready to authorize Poland to send leopards to Ukraine” (ANSA)
Likewise, the Netherlands will send eight F-35 fighter jets to Poland later this month, the Defense Ministry said in a statement quoted by CNN today. “In February and March, four fighter jets will be available to monitor NATO airspace over Eastern Europe, the so-called air policing,” said the Dutch Ministry of Defense. “The other four F-35s are participating in a training program with allies called vigilance activities. This training increases NATO’s readiness on the eastern flank and promotes cooperation between the various NATO countries.” The Defense Ministry said warplanes could react within minutes to intercept an aircraft.
Poland is a NATO member and borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The Netherlands has also stepped up its support for Ukraine, announcing plans to join the United States and Germany in sending a Patriot missile defense system to Kyiv, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a White House meeting with US President Joe Biden