This Wednesday, the Defense Ministers of the European Union will debate military support for Ukraine, the search for new sources of financing and security guarantees for that country, in a Council that will include the participation of the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Mikhailo Fédorov, who will present the needs and priorities in the military field.
The meeting in Brussels will begin at 4:45 p.m. (local time) and will bring together Defense officials from the Member States, together with representatives of the community institutions.European sources reported that the Ukrainian minister will address the situation on the ground and the most urgent demands in defense matters.
Since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the European Union and its Member States have contributed 63.9 billion euros, about 76 billion dollars, to the Ukrainian Army with the aim of strengthening its capabilities and military resilience.
European sources consulted by EFE indicated that the bloc maintains its determination to continue with this support and that the meeting will focus on listening to kyiv’s priorities in the face of continuous Russian attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure.
“Our starting point is the needs of Ukraine. We will do whatever it takes to obtain what is needed at the necessary speed,” indicated the same sources, who specified that the discussions will be “strategic but not technical.”
Diplomatic sources indicated that during the meeting it is expected to address the agreement of the Union countries to grant a loan of 90,000 million euros, about 107,141 million dollars, to Ukraine.Two thirds of that amount will be allocated to military support.The mechanism provides for defense material to be acquired in European countries, except in exceptional cases.
The delegations trust in an upcoming agreement with the European Parliament to move forward with this financing.Some capitals consider it key to guarantee an equitable distribution of aid efforts to Ukraine and prevent any Member State from limiting itself to collective assistance without providing additional bilateral aid.
The same sources stressed that the priority will be to respond to kyiv’s needs, even if the need arises to acquire military equipment outside the territory of the European Union.
European sources explained that the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, is analyzing, together with the European Commission, the options available to modernize the Ukrainian military training infrastructure.Ukraine is studying the possibility of modernizing several training centers and, in this context, the European Union could provide aid to two of these establishments.
The ministers will also discuss “how to support” the monitoring of an eventual ceasefire, an issue that is part of the talks on security guarantees for the country.
The meeting will also include an informal session during a working dinner, in which Defense officials will examine the prospects for 2026 in terms of security and defense on the continent.
Although the security situation in the Arctic does not appear on the official agenda of the Council, the sources indicated that this issue will arise within the framework of the debate on “the future architecture” in the field of European security and defense.
(With information from EFE)
