On May 17 Vice Minister of National Margiris Abukevičius attended a European Union Foreign Affairs Council session in Brussels where he and EU colleagues discussed support to Ukraine, investment into defence capabilities, stockpile replenishment and Strategic Compass implementation. According to Vice Minister, the assistance to Ukraine has to become persistent and enduring.
“A clear EU priority is to help Ukraine defend itself, and eventually win. EU financial and human are vital to Ukraine in this period. A good example is the decision to increase the support to EUR 2 billion for military aid via the European Peace Facility. Such support should be for the long-term and adjustable to concrete developments,” says M. Abukevičius.
Proposals were voiced at the meeting to use the existing EU instruments to assist Ukraine in such areas as mine clearance, defence sector reform and food security.
M. Abukevičius underscored that one of the main current priorities was to replenish the stockpiles EU member states had transferred to Ukraine. Member states discussed the possibility to establish a new defence instrument for rendering financial support in replenishing stocks of ammunition and other critical capabilities. Such of support would be primarily intended for the most vulnerable countries.
Other topics discussed were the need to coordinate procurement, simplify acquisition procedures, and to ensure national defence spending has special flexibility in the Multiannual Financial Framework.
“EU-level defence decisions could be beneficial if that would allow to minimize the defence investment gap more quickly, cheaply and with a smaller bureaucratic burden,” Vice Minister says.
In the discussion on the EU Strategic Compass Vice Minister emphasized that the joint EU actions had to reflect the new reality and focus on an effective support to the Ukrainian military, increasing of EU member states’ resilience, investment in military mobility, and building on the strategic partnership with NATO and transatlantic bond with the U.S.
