The European Union announced, over the weekend, additional support for Ukraine. For the first time in its history, the EU has decided to send lethal equipment to a third state, through the European Peace Facility, for an amount of €450 million.
“Another taboo has fallen, the taboo that the European Union was not providing arms in a war. Yes, we are doing it. Because this war requires our engagement to support the Ukrainian army”, justified Josep Borrell.
“The assistance measure will finance the provision to the Ukrainian armed forces of military equipment and platforms designed to release lethal force”, says the legal act published in the EU’s Official Journal on Monday 28 February. Twenty-four Member States will participate (all EU27 except Ireland, Austria and Malta).
According to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Member States, through the Facility, will provide ammunition and weapons of all types. If on Sunday, he had mentioned fighter planes, on Monday he backtracked by specifying that the Member States could provide, bilaterally, such planes which must be able to be piloted by Ukrainians.
The European Union is going to set up a coordination mechanism in Brussels, through its Military Staff, to match the demands of the Ukrainian army with the offers of the Member States, “to avoid duplication, to offer maximum efficiency and coordination in our support”, said Mr Borrell, adding that this will be done in coordination with NATO.
Poland will host a hub for the transfer of materials. Asked about the logistics of sending military equipment to Ukraine, Mr Borrell declined to comment. “I’m not going to give out information that could be used by the other side”, he explained.
The Europeans will also provide an additional €50 million under the European Peace Facility to supply the Ukrainian army with non-lethal equipment and supplies, such as personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel. All Member States are parties to the measure. The EU Council had already adopted a €31 million assistance measure last December (see EUROPE 12845/20).
The High Representative also announced that Ukraine had requested EU support for geospatial intelligence and that the EU’s satellite centre in Madrid, SatCen, was working on this request. Mr Borrell added that the EU would work on Ukraine’s cyber defence.
In addition, many individual Member States have announced additional military support for Ukraine. According to the head of European diplomacy, 17 European countries had responded to calls for arms deliveries on Sunday afternoon.
Claiming “a turning point” in European history, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country, previously reluctant to deliver arms, had authorised the delivery to Kyiv of 1,400 anti-tank rocket launchers, 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles and nine howitzers. Sweden also announced, among other things, the delivery of 5,000 anti-armour rocket launchers.
See the legal acts related to the European Peace Facility: https://aeur.eu/f/ju and https://aeur.eu/f/jv
Mr Zelensky signs application for EU membership
On Monday afternoon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for his country to join the EU. Earlier in the day, he had asked the EU to integrate his country “without delay”.
However, according to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, there are “different opinions and sensitivities” among Member States regarding enlargement.
Now that Ukraine’s formal application to become a candidate for EU membership has been made, the Commission will have to give an official opinion on the credibility of this application and on this basis the EU Council will have to decide unanimously.
The day before, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had said that the Ukrainians are “one of us”. “We want them to be in the EU”, she added, without giving any timeframe.
Last week, Poland, Slovenia and Lithuania had called for Ukraine’s accession, with the first two even advocating for membership before 2030. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)