The European Union and its member states have provided Ukraine with arms and military equipment worth at least 8 billion euros, said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, quoted by Reuters.

Delivery of weapons to UkrainePhoto: Serhiy Supinsky / AFP / Profimedia Images

According to him, this is about 45 percent of the military aid provided to Kyiv by the United States.

Borrell added that the EU will “continue the international isolation of Russia” and introduce “restrictive measures” against the Russian economy.

The head of European diplomacy stated this on Monday after the meeting in Brussels with his European colleagues.

Recent aid and promises from Spain, Norway, France and Italy

The Italian government announced last week that it was preparing a new arms package for Ukraine, including air defense systems, a representative of the ruling coalition said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Rome intends to provide Ukraine with a number of air defense systems, including Franco-Italian SAMP-T medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems and Aspide anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as Stinger man-portable missiles.

Italy has never disclosed details of the weapons it has been sending to Kyiv since the Russian invasion, but Italian and Ukrainian media have reported that previous shipments included rocket-propelled grenade launchers (LMRS), Pzh2000 howitzers and armored vehicles.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to strengthen Kyiv’s air defense last week.

Last Monday, Ukraine announced that it had received new air defense systems from the US, Spain and Norway to counter Russia’s massive bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

“NASAMS and Aspide air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine! These weapons will significantly strengthen the Ukrainian army and make our skies safer. We will continue to shoot down the enemies who attack us. We thank our partners: Norway, Spain and the USA,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Twitter .

Multiple EU aid

The Council of the European Union in mid-October approved the allocation of additional military aid to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million euros, bringing to 3.1 billion euros in security support that Brussels has provided to the Administration in Kyiv since the beginning of 2018. Russian invasion.

The EU has taken concrete steps to support Ukraine and its neighboring countries offering protection to people fleeing war. These measures include:

  • reception of refugees through the mechanism of temporary protection
  • EUR 523 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
  • provision of civil protection
  • support to Member States receiving refugees
  • up to €9 billion in macro-financial assistance to promote stability
  • 3.1 billion euros to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine
  • supporting the investigation and prosecution of war crimes