“Our support at this time is critical because the war is at a turning point. We cannot allow Ukraine to run out of military equipment because the battle in Donbas is at a time when the Ukrainian counter-offensive, pushing the Russians, is having some extraordinary successes and the additional 500 million will raise to 2 billion the full military support of the EU & rdquor ;, announced the high representative for the EU’s foreign policy, Joseph Borrellafter the political endorsement of the Council of Defense Ministers of the EU for a new European disbursement to continue financing the purchase of weapons from Ukraine.
A contribution that is added to the individual effort that the member states continue to make and that, according to the head of European diplomacy, is “much more than what people think & rdquor; and something that you have to keep doing “until the end.” As he has assured, the Twenty-seven have “enough resources & rdquor; to continue supporting Ukraine at the same pace, which has shown, in his opinion, an “incredible & rdquor; to resist and fight back, although he has avoided commenting on how long he could “resist” Russia.
“I dare not predict how long Russia can hold out. And we are using the verb resist applied to Russia. But if it is true that Russia has lost 15% of its troops at the beginning of the war, this is a world record for losses of an army invading another country. I don’t know if they can replace it but the level of losses of the Russian army is impressive & rdquor ;, he added, recalling that if the Russian war in Ukraine it is so that the Twenty-seven also realize that it is necessary to prepare for war situations. “I am sure that the member states understand that to spend better you have to spend together. Expenditure has been falling and now what it is about is increasing and doing things differently & rdquor ;, she has claimed.
The appointment also coincided with the confirmation of the request for NATO accession from Finland and Sweden, an incorporation with which the EU closes ranks and which will mean an important geopolitical change. “You can count on our full support & rdquor ;, recalled the head of European diplomacy who trusts in a rapid accession. What message does this send to Vladimir Putin? “I do not think that the Swedes and the Finns have sent a message to Putin. I have heard him say that he is not worried about this decision and that makes me happy,” Borrell said at a press conference.
Mission in Mali
Defense ministers have also confirmed the decision to end the European training mission of the Malian army. “We have no guarantees from the transitional authorities of non-interference by Russian mercenaries (of the Wagner group). On the contrary, we have seen an increase in human rights abuses that are being investigated by the United Nations and Mali’s latest regrettable decision to leave of the G7 Sahel.
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So we have reaffirmed our decision of a month ago to suspend the operational mission to train the Malian forces and the sending of military material under the European Fund for Peace that was underway & rdquor ;, explained the head of European diplomacy. The decision to put an end to cooperation with the training of Malian troops does not mean that the European Union is abandoning the country, although in the coming weeks they will present a strategic review of the mission.
“On the contrary, we want to do more and better and for that we are going to reallocate our military resources in neighboring countries,” Borrell explained. The idea is to reduce the military presence in Mali, where they currently have a thousand troops, and redistribute them to other countries in the area such as Niger. “To pack up and leave, we all need a unanimous decision by the Council. The subject has not been raised. The mission is not cancelled, it remains, but we are going to resize and redefine it & rdquor ;, he added.