EU Discusses Defense Support for Ukraine and European Security: Callas
A meeting of European Union defense ministers has begun in Brussels, during which they are discussing further military support for Ukraine and strengthening security guarantees for Europe.
According to Ukrinform, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced this ahead of the meeting.
According to her, the agenda also includes issues related to responding to current security threats and coordinating the defense policies of EU member states amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
"Today is a full day of defense topics. The Ukrainian Minister of Defense will join us, and we will, of course, discuss how to use the 90 billion euro loan to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs," Kallas said.
European Union defense ministers will discuss ways to strengthen defense readiness, particularly through command post exercises designed to assess the EU’s ability to respond to various types of threats.
According to Kallas, the prepared document on the implementation of Article 42/7 on mutual assistance provides for three basic scenarios: the simultaneous use of EU and NATO mechanisms in the event of an attack on an Alliance member state; a separate EU response in the event of an attack on a non-NATO state; and a scenario involving a hybrid attack that does not reach the level of a direct military invasion.
She noted that the EU does not publicly disclose the nature of the exercises, as they reveal existing gaps in defense readiness.
“That was the whole point of these exercises—where we need to be, who does what, who can demand what from the European Commission, what the European Commission and the European External Action Service of member states can do. Article 42/7 is very broad and vague. We need to flesh it out,” she concluded.
Kallas confirmedher participation in EU negotiations with Russia.
Kallasdiscussed the need for a just peace in Ukraine with the Pope.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he is ready to hold a summit with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and the search for an appropriate format is currently underway.
The Kremlin stated that Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy in Moscow.
