On Thursday 8 May, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced that the Europeans “are going to make available”, during their visit to Lviv on 9 May, “€1 billion for Ukraine’s defence industry. I think this is a very important sign for Ukraine”, she stressed at the end of the informal meeting of foreign ministers in Warsaw.
These funds come from the exceptional profits generated by the Russian Central Bank’s fixed assets, according to a European source.
“This is the Danish initiative”, said Ms Kallas, referring to Copenhagen’s financing of equipment for Ukraine ordered directly from the Ukrainian defence industry.
“We know that Ukraine has the capacity to do even more in terms of its defence industry. It’s simply a question of economic resources. We should step up our military support and invest, following the Danish model, in the Ukrainian defence industry”, stressed Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen ahead of the meeting.
Agreement on a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression. The visit by the High Representative and a large number of EU foreign ministers – between 18 and 20, according to one European source – will also be an opportunity to give political approval to the creation of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. “There will be no impunity, there will be accountability for the crimes committed [and for], those who started this war”, promised Ms Kallas.
“Impunity cannot be the price of peace. Anyone who commits crimes in Ukraine will have to answer to the courts”, added the Spanish minister, José Manuel Albares Bueno.
Reinforce and maintain sanctions. At their meeting in Warsaw, the ministers also discussed the strengthening of sanctions against Russia (see EUROPE 13635/15).
“There is extensive diplomacy going on, but it is clear that Russia shows no signs of wanting peace. What we have to do is put more pressure on Russia so that Russia also wants peace”, stressed Ms Kallas, hoping that the 17th sanctions package, which has just been put in the hands of the Member States, can be adopted at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council, scheduled for 20 May.
She confirmed that this package would tackle the ‘shadow fleet’ in particular.
The Finnish minister, Elina Valtonen, announced that her country had proposed putting forward a tariff strategy parallel to the sanctions, “not replacing the sanctions, but in order to exert further pressure on Russia’s economy in order for us to be able to find peace in Europe”.
According to the Latvian minister, Baiba Braže, the ministers also endorsed the so-called ‘Graham’ sanctions prepared by US Senator Lindsey Graham, explaining that they were “a really valuable tool to increase pressure on Russia to actually sit down and seriously [accept] the peace plan”.
And while concerns are being expressed about the renewal of the European sanctions already adopted, the High Representative stressed that “sanctions must stay in place [until] Russia pays for the damages that they have caused”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)