BRUSSELS (AP) – Ukraine’s prime minister on Monday urged the European Union to stand firm against Russian energy “blackmail” and called for more weapons, including planes, for the war-ravaged country even as EU arms stocks are running out.
“Russia is waging a hybrid war on the European continent against the European Union. Gas blackmail, oil blackmail, creating the food crisis, the migrant crisis, disinformation, cyberattacks,” the Prime Minister said. Ukrainian Minister Denys Shmyhal.
“But giving up Ukraine alone against Russia – that would be just one of those steps for Russia’s continued movement deeper into Europe. The only salvation is for Europe to be united,” he said. told reporters in Brussels after a meeting with senior EU officials.
The 27 EU member countries have been delivering arms, ammunition and other assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on February 24. The bloc has provided billions of euros in economic and refugee support. Sanctions are also gradually weighing on the Russian economy, but fears are growing that EU resolve will weaken as inflation and energy prices rise.
However, Shmyhal insisted that Ukraine, which has been accepted as a candidate for future EU membership, still needs more help.
“Unfortunately, we don’t see any signs that Russia is ready to stop the war. That’s why we need more modern weapons, such as air defense, missile defense, anti-ship defense,” as well than armored vehicles and aircraft, he said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that “the European Union will continue to support Ukraine, whatever the threat, whatever blackmail Russia may impose on us”, and that “as long as it takes and as much as necessary”.
But Borrell had warned earlier on Monday that arms stocks in the EU were running low and he urged member countries to better coordinate their spending on military equipment.
“The military stocks of most member states have been, I wouldn’t say depleted, but depleted in a high proportion, because we have provided a lot of capabilities to the Ukrainians,” he said in a debate with European parliamentarians.
“You have to fill it. The best way to refuel is to do it together. It will be cheaper,” he said.
At a meeting in the Czech Republic last week, EU defense ministers discussed ways to better pool military equipment and resources, as well as bulk purchasing ammunition and weapons like air defense systems that Ukraine continues to need.
Borrell warned on Monday that if member nations continue to expand their military capabilities in the same way, “the result will be a big waste of money, because that’s no way to undo our duplications – there are a lot – or fill in our gaps”. .”
Borrell also lamented what he believes was a missed opportunity for the EU to start training Ukraine’s armed forces a year ago, several months before Russia launched its invasion more than six months ago, after that several member countries have requested such an operation.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t, and today we regret it. We regret that last August we did not follow up on this request, fulfilling this request,” he said. If the EU had responded at the time, Borrell said, “we would be in a better situation.”
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