EU Defense Ministers exchanged views in Brussels on Wednesday in support of Ukraine and the EU’s planned military mission in the Red Sea. Alarm bells are now ringing, especially when it comes to Ukraine: the set goals are clearly not being achieved.
After the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell admitted the alliance would fall short of its target of one million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine by March. According to Borrell, 330,000 pieces were sent from the EU to Ukraine in early 2024.
Almost 50 percent below target
In March 2023, the EU set itself the target of supplying one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine within one year. But the numbers change every day, Borrell pointed out. He expects there will be 524,000 units in March, meaning around half of the EU target will be achieved. The expectation is that the goal of one million will be reached by the end of 2024.
In addition to the joint purchasing and supply of ammunition by all EU member states, ministers also discussed strengthening the defense industry in the Union. After the meeting, Borrell emphasized that production capacity would increase.
The EU wants to increase support
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov attended the event via video. At the press conference after the Council meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell reiterated his demand that Ukraine needs more military support from the EU. This will also be an important topic at the special summit on Thursday.
“The European Council also reiterates the urgent need to accelerate the delivery of ammunition and missiles,” the Reuters news agency said in a draft conclusion. According to Borrell, the EU wants to train another 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers, which would reach a total of 60,000 by the end of the summer.
The Austrian position on support for Ukraine is known, Secretary General Arnold Kammel emphasized to the Council in Brussels. He represented Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, who was unable to travel to Brussels due to illness. The EU has already made an “enormous contribution”. More needs to be done regarding industrial capacity.
Tense situation in the Red Sea
The security situation in the Red Sea was also on the agenda: on January 22, EU foreign ministers reached a political agreement in principle on the launch of an EU military mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday he hoped the mission could start by February 19. A meeting of EU foreign ministers is also planned for this day.
He emphasized that the EU’s new maritime mission Aspides – this is the Greek word for shield – is designed purely defensively. It’s about protecting merchant ships. “Not all member states want to participate, but no one will block.” The mission will only include operations at sea, but not on land.
Austria checks “final draft”
Secretary General Arnold Kammel emphasized the importance of the mission “for Austria as a country that is very export-oriented.” Before “we make our contribution here, we must first see what the final design of the operation will look like.” “We will then decide whether and to what extent we as Austria will participate,” said Tanner’s representative.
Source: Krone
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