Ukraine – European Union foreign ministers will discuss increasing military support for Kyiv on Monday in the face of the Russian invasion.

BRUSSELS, March 21 (Morocco-Acto) –

European Union foreign ministers will discuss developments in the war in Ukraine on Monday and how to provide more support to how in the face of the Russian invasion. A political agreement must be found to send more weapons to Ukraine and an additional 500 million euros.

The Foreign Affairs Council meeting will be the first European meeting in a week that US President Joe Biden will attend the European summit on March 24, during which the bloc intends to reassert its resolve in the face of the invasion of Ukraine. from Russia.

However, the adoption of the fund aimed at supporting the delivery of deadly weapons to Ukraine is not scheduled for Monday, due to legal problems. “No member state questions the need for continued military assistance to Ukraine. A senior European official explained that the political message would be in unison.

The announcement follows a proposal made by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, to EU leaders at last week’s summit in Versailles, France, to boost the European Peace Facility by an additional €500 million, which the EU uses to support arms deliveries. A country in conflict for the first time in its history.

European diplomacy has already confirmed that a large number of weapons have been sent to Ukraine, and assures that the total value of the assistance exceeds 500 million euros, hence the desire to extend this support to member states if the weapons sent to Kyiv meet the standards. identified by Brussels, that is, they are defensive weapons and they meet the needs of the Ukrainian army.

Fifth round of sanctions

Regarding potential measures against Russia, the EU is already working on a fifth round of sanctions that would fill in the gaps of previous rounds and expand restrictions already in place, such as disconnecting more Russian banks for the SWIFT transfer connection. the system.

Diplomatic sources say that the European Union still has an option to implement further measures if the situation worsens, after fears that Russia will use chemical weapons against the Ukrainian population, and the option of an embargo on Russian oil, which the United States has already adopted, is still on the table.

The meeting will adopt the “Strategic Compass”, the European Union’s 27th defense “road map”, which had to be adapted to the recent events in Ukraine. This document, which is intended to be the Defense White Paper for the next decade, sets out security priorities in Europe and in neighboring countries, as well as the goals of joint military development in the European Union.

This includes the ability to deploy quickly, which means that the EU has the means to respond with up to 5,000 troops in crisis situations. The idea is that the EU should be able to act decisively to ensure its security, and to this end, special importance is given to the joint European exercises that the EU intends to launch next year.

The foreign ministers will also discuss the situation in Mali and the future of EUTM Mali. The 27 are working on an options document, although they agree intent on preserving the mission if the junta provides minimal security conditions on the ground.