German Defence Minister: Five EU nations boost support for Ukraine’s military sector

Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Italy have committed to strengthening Ukraine’s defence industry, according to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

The minister confirmed that these five European nations would ramp up their support for Ukraine’s military-industrial sector ahead of the impending winter, marking the third such effort since the conflict began, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“Our goal must be to enable Ukraine to act from a position of strength,” Pistorius emphasised.

However, despite substantial backing, the European Union has struggled to provide Ukraine with sufficient resources in its ongoing confrontation with Russia, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has acknowledged. In a blog post marking the conclusion of his term as the EU’s top diplomat, Borrell admitted there were gaps in the EU’s support for Ukraine.

“We have continued our financial, humanitarian, and military support for Ukraine, allocating €122 billion to date, including €45 billion for military aid. We have also recently decided to utilise revenues from frozen Russian assets to guarantee future support,” Borrell wrote, as cited by Interfax.

“Yet, despite all this, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with enough resources for its defence (...). The winter will be extremely tough for Ukrainians, with widespread power outages. We have also fallen short, particularly in supplying ammunition,” he acknowledged.

Borrell further described the situation in Ukraine as “an existential threat to the EU,” warning that it could destabilise “the global world order.” This, he argued, should serve as a stark reminder for Europeans to take greater responsibility for their own security.

By Aghakazim Guliyev