Additional military aid on track for Ukraine

Brussels (dpa) - Ukraine can look forward to military aid worth billions of euros as it defends itself against Russian aggression. At the spring meeting in Brussels, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other EU leaders agreed to accelerate plans to use interest earned on frozen Russian central bank assets, This could amount to €3 billion this year alone. Scholz said the funds would mainly be used to buy weapons and munitions which Ukraine needs to defend itself against the Russian invasion. 

The Federal Chancellor again urged other EU member states to provide more military aid. “All European states must make a good contribution. I can see evidence of progress, too,” he said. He also stressed again that Germany was the strongest supporter of Ukraine in the EU, having provided aid worth €28 billion in arms already delivered or pledged. 

The summit declaration states that provision of all necessary military aid is being accelerated, and that the EU is determined to continue support for Ukraine “for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed.” Scholz said, “It remains vital that we counter this brutal Russian attack by supporting Ukraine.”