The Ukrainian ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, explained on Wednesday 21 February that Ukraine was at a crucial point in the conflict.
“We have a difficult situation on the front line, but the lesson we must learn is not to give up, but to intensify our cooperation to obtain arms and ammunition in quantity and quality”, he explained to a group of journalists, including EUROPE, acknowledging that Ukraine was tired. In his view, giving up would be “suicide”.
The ambassador welcomed the Czech Republic’s announcement that it had identified 800,000 units of available ammunition that could be delivered to Ukraine within a few weeks. According to him, if his country obtains guarantees of ammunition deliveries, it will be able to use ammunition currently in reserve, as stocks will be replenished.
“It’s very mathematical: the more ammunition you run out of, the more casualties you immediately incur”, added the ambassador, who also praised the help given to Ukrainian soldiers by the EU training mission. The country is working to lower the age of conscription from 27 to 25, although students will be spared. “We have to rotate and send trained people to the battlefield”, explained Mr Chentsov, pointing out that the Russians are sending more and more people to the front.
He called for a “serious and solid” strategy to support Ukraine in all areas, “to maintain a functioning economy, to develop a strong army, but also to maintain the pressure on Russia and on this regime, regarding the sanctions policy and further international isolation”.
Mr Chentsov also explained that his country had made progress on the final conditions for the adoption of the negotiating framework for accession. For him, all that remains is the law on lobbying, which is near completion. But while the negotiating framework was expected in March, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced earlier in the day that it should be presented by “early summer”. “We are making excellent progress on screening and working on the negotiating framework. My guess is that it won’t be ready before the European elections, probably around summer”, Mr Chentsov told the media.
Agreement on 13th sanctions package, but not yet on the European Peace Facility (EPF)
On the same day, the ambassadors of the EU Member States gave the green light to the 13th package of sanctions against Russia. It covers almost 200 people and entities and also focuses on the procurement network supporting Russia’s military, especially the supply chain to make drones that end up in the Russian military complex and then on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“With this package, we are taking more measures against entities involved in circumvention (of sanctions), in the defence and military sectors”, stressed the High Representative of the Union, Josep Borrell, on X (formerly Twitter).
The aim is to adopt the package by written procedure in time to ensure its publication in the Official Journal of the EU on Saturday 24 February, the 2nd anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
For Mr Chentsov, this 13th package is above all symbolic. He pointed out that his country was continuing to push for measures in metallurgy, energy (LNG and nuclear) and Russian agricultural products, which are entering the European market while Ukrainian products are being blocked by certain Member States. In addition, Ukraine wants to see additional measures taken against countries that help Russia, and a lowering of the cap price for oil trade.
The EU ambassadors also renewed for a further 6 months the targeted sanctions regime covering around 2,000 individuals and entities.
The Member States were unable to agree on the details of the ‘Ukraine Assistance Facility’, the ‘Ukraine’ component of the ‘EPF’. “Good progress has been made to date”, said a European source, pointing out that no Member State was calling the instrument into question and that all had agreed to reach an agreement in March, before the European Council. European leaders had called for an agreement in early March.
EPP proposes an ‘EU Plan for the Victory of Ukraine’
In addition, in a position paper obtained by EUROPE, the EPP proposes that the European institutions “urgently” develop an ‘EU Plan for the Victory of Ukraine’. “This Plan would provide the framework for collective EU decisions and the implementation of urgent steps for military assistance to Ukraine necessary for its victory”, the document states. According to the EPP, EU and NATO support needs to be larger than 0.25% of combined GDP. “This would allow Ukraine to start accumulating the needed reserves to military prevail against Russian forces in 2025-2026”, it explains.
The EPP also wants the EU plan to cover not just artillery, but every other military equipment necessary for Ukraine’s victory.
In its view, clear priority should be given to supporting the development of Ukraine’s military industry. “The EU Plan also should present a blueprint for how the capacities of European military industries will be ramped up in the nearest future to guarantee the supply of the military equipment needed for Ukraine’s victory”, adds the document, which calls for special legal measures, similar to those implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, to prevent military goods produced by the EU military industry from being delivered to third countries before satisfying Ukraine’s needs.
To see the paper: https://aeur.eu/f/axw (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Mathieu Bion)