On January 30-31 Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas attended the informal EU Defence Ministers’ meeting in Brussels. At the meeting, the necessity to speed up ammunition supply to Ukraine was underscored, short-term and long-term EU military aid, strengthening of the European defence industry, and EU military missions and operations were discussed.
Minister invited other member states to take the decision on establishing the Ukraine Assistance Fund without further delay – the Fund would have the budget of up to EUR 5 billion in 2024. In the discussion on the EU defence industry A. Anušauskas highlighted the need to support defence industry companies in the eastern part of the EU.
“We are at a critical point of the war. Member states must throw every resource they can at acquisition of weaponry for Ukraine,” said A.Anušauskas.
While at the informal EU Defence Ministerial, Minister A. Anušauskas had bilateral meetings with counterparts from Denmark, Italy, Netherlands and Spain on the demining of Ukraine coalition assembled by Lithuania and implementation of the Rotational NATO Air Defence model starting at the eastern rim of the Alliance.
Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (Photo credit: Julien Nizet)
