EU countries have delivered to Ukraine in recent months 1,300 missiles and 220,000 of the planned one million projectiles. This was announced by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, after today’s meeting of European defense ministers in Brussels.
He noted that 24 of the 27 countries in the EU participate in the general procurement of projectiles. We want the EU countries to supply from their stocks, and then, with an increase in production, stocks to be restored, Borrell explained.
According to him, there are opportunities in the EU to expand the production of ammunition in the necessary quantities. He called on the Council of the EU and the European Parliament to approve the proposal of the European Commission to provide funds for the expansion of production capacities.
I hope that the obstacles to the payment of the next sums for the general military aid to Ukraine will be overcome this week, Borel said. He specified that unanimity was still not reached in the EU Council today, but there was a significant majority.
So far, the EU has provided Ukraine with military aid for 10 billion euros, Borel announced. This is much more than expected, he noted.
According to him, the training of Ukrainian pilots to work with F-16 fighters has begun in several EU countries. Asked where the training takes place, Borrell gave the example of Poland. According to him, the delivery of such fighters to Ukraine will take time, but he expressed confidence that this will happen, as the obstacles to the delivery of tanks were overcome earlier.
Aid to Ukraine does not make NATO or the countries of the pact part of the conflict
Ukraine has the right to defend itself against the Russian attack, the right to self-defense is enshrined in the UN Charter. We have the right to help Ukraine uphold international law, this does not make NATO or the pact countries part of the conflict. This was stated by the Secretary General of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, to journalists upon his arrival to participate in the meeting of the EU defense ministers in Brussels.
We will discuss how to work even more closely together to increase ammunition production capabilities. NATO sets the conditions and sets the goals for compatibility, we are revising those goals in terms of, for example, the size of projectiles used. More and more NATO countries are signing contracts to increase ammunition production. We must avoid the emergence of new obstacles between allies in production so that we can replenish ammunition stocks and continue support for Ukraine, he added.
In recent months, Ukraine has received tanks, in recent weeks Britain has supplied Kiev with long-range missiles, and this is leading to changes on the battlefield. In recent days we have learned that some allies are starting to train Ukrainian pilots on modern Western fighter jets. This shows our readiness to support Ukraine in the long term, Stoltenberg pointed out. According to him, the decision to train Ukrainian pilots opens the way for the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine “at some point”.
Stoltenberg announced that at the upcoming June meeting of defense ministers from the pact in Brussels, manufacturers of military equipment from both sides of the Atlantic will be invited. The war has entered a phase of attrition, and this increases the importance of production, supply and maintenance issues, the Secretary-General concluded.
Ukraine will receive Western support “for years to come”, said the British Prime Minister
Ukraine will receive Western support “for years to come,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, warning Russian President Vladimir Putin that his wait-and-see strategy “will not work,” PA media and DPA reported.
The British prime minister said one of the Russian president’s “miscalculations” was to think his invasion of Ukraine would divide allies.
During a question-and-answer session at the London Defense Conference at Bush House (the building that housed the BBC World Service from 1941 to 2012) Sunak stated, that it is clear that the G7 is “united” in continuing to support the war-torn country against Russian aggression.
The UK is negotiating with its allies on long-term security arrangements in Ukraine, Sunak said.
Russia’s “clear statement that this support will be coming to Ukraine for years” would send Moscow a message that its “wait-and-see strategy will not work,” he added.
Sunak said one of the big mistakes Putin made was that instead of tearing allies apart, he brought them together.
“Defence spending is increasing everywhere, including in the UK,” he said, adding that it was “good for European security”.
According to the prime minister, Ukraine had “every chance of success” in its spring counter-offensive with the help of resources and capabilities provided by the UK and allies.
Over the weekend, Sunak was at the G7 summit in Japan, where Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed leaders and US President Joe Biden gave his approval for Western allies to provide Kiev with their F-16 fighter jets.
Orban: Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said today that Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia, calling for talks with Moscow to end the conflict, AFP reported.
The Hungarian leader, who is at odds with other members of the European Union on the issue of that war and refuses to provide military aid to his Ukrainian neighbor, repeated his calls for a ceasefire.
“It is clear that a military solution is not working,” he said at the Qatar Economic Forum, adding that the Russian invasion was the result of a “failure of diplomacy.”
“If we look at the reality, the numbers, the context and the fact that NATO is not ready to send troops, it is obvious that there will be no victory for the poor Ukrainians on the battlefield. This is my position,” Orban noted.
The Hungarian prime minister, who has ties to the Kremlin, is one of the few leaders, if not the only one, in the EU who has not visited Kiev.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed today that Hungary had refused to unblock a new tranche of EU military aid to Ukraine, while saying he was “certain” it would be released.
According to Viktor Orbán, a new European security agreement should be negotiated with Moscow after the ceasefire.
“As a country, Ukraine is of course very important, but in the longer term, from a strategic point of view, the stake is the future security of Europe,” Orban said, adding: “It is clear that without the US there is no security architecture for Europe . And this war can only be stopped if the Russians reach an agreement with Washington,” he added.
The Hungarian prime minister also criticized EU leaders for being too “intellectual”.
Relations between Hungary and Sweden must improve before the Nordic country’s application for NATO membership is approved, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also said today during an Economic Forum in Qatar, quoted by Reuters.
Zelensky: The battle for Bakhmut is still going on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Ukraine after participating in the G-7 summit in Japan and visiting Saudi Arabia, DPA reported.
“There will be more weapons for our fighters,” the head of state said in a video address recorded on the train last night.
He then gave a forecast for the upcoming NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius in July, saying: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that the decisions at the summit will be ones that … work for us.”
According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s initiatives in the field of foreign policy are yielding results. “Each time there are more results for Ukraine: more air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, ammunition, training,” he said.
Zelensky also praised Ukraine’s air defenses, which are said to have shot down 25 of a total of 25 Russian combat drones. “Every takedown is a life saved,” he said. However, Ukraine has not been able to shoot down every Russian missile, so Kiev will continue to improve its air defense system, the Ukrainian president added.
Without elaborating, Zelensky said fighting in the hotly contested town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine was still ongoing amid Russian claims that its forces had captured the entire town after months of fighting.
“Our troops are in control of certain sites in Bakhmut and the sector with family housing in the Samolet district,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hana Malyar said in her post on Telegram. Russian troops are searching the neighborhoods they captured for Ukrainian soldiers, she added. According to Mallyar, fighting continues around the hills north and south of the city.
Malyar also said that Russian troops are bringing additional reserves into the battle. “The defense of Bakhmut is fulfilling its military task,” she stressed, adding that Moscow’s troops have suffered huge losses and their attacking potential has been reduced.
The town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region has been the subject of fierce fighting for months, DPA said. Over the weekend, Moscow announced that it had completely captured the heavily damaged city, which was once home to 70,000 people. Zelensky quickly disputed this claim.
Zelensky visited the front line to meet with Marines
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that he met with marines on the eastern front line to thank them for their contribution to the fight against the Russian invasion, Reuters reported.
A video posted online shows Zelensky presenting awards to dozens of men and women in military uniforms on the occasion of the national Ukrainian Marine Corps Day.
“Happy Marine Corps Day, above all to these strong men and women who are in one of the hardest-fought areas, but also one of the strongest – Ugledar-Marinka, located in the eastern Donetsk region,” he said.
The fighting is fierce in Donetsk, one of four regions that Russia declared in September as its territory after holding what Ukraine and its allies call a “sham” referendum.
Zelensky presented awards to the commanders of several marine corps units. He said the Ukrainian government would create a specialized marine corps and promised to provide new weapons and equipment.
Germany is considering the possibilities of helping the coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft
Germany is considering what options it has to help the coalition of countries intending to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 jets, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, quoted by Reuters.
But regardless, any contribution Berlin would make to the overall effort would be minimal because Germany does not have such fighters, he added.
Medvedev: Western weapons for Ukraine make “nuclear apocalypse” more likely
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said today that the more destructive weapons Ukraine receives from its Western backers, the greater the risk of a “nuclear apocalypse,” Reuters reported.
The agency quoted Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, as saying that Kiev’s denial of its involvement in an armed incursion into Russia’s border region of Belgorod was a “lie”.
Medvedev called the perpetrators of the invasion in the Belgorod region “thugs” who “must be exterminated like rats”, RIA Novosti reported.
“As for these thugs, I cannot call them otherwise, though they may be characterized in various ways. The only question is, what shall we do with them? They must be simply exterminated like rats, and even not be taken prisoner,” Medvedev said.
“Whatever they say in Kiev that they have nothing to do with sabotage raids of this kind, these are all lies, of course, absolutely,” he said in response to a question by TASS whether Ukraine could be absolved of responsibility for the attack in the Belgorod region due to the fact that it was committed by Russian citizens.
“Responsibility for this lies with the Kyiv regime and ultimately its overseas sponsors, i.e. Washington and EU countries, along with acceded countries such as Great Britain and others. This is their responsibility, direct and immediate,” concluded Medvedev.
