Borrell: some EU members willing to provide Ukraine with ammunition and air defence and interceptor systems

The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg yesterday discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine in a joint session gathering both EU Foreign and Defence Ministers.

According to EU High Representative Josep Borrell, some Member States indicated their will to make specific contributions in the areas of air defence, interceptor systems or to support an expanded existing initiative, such as the Czech one on ammunition and the German one on air defence.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov joined the beginning of the meeting online and provided updates on the latest developments on the ground and on Ukraine’s current priorities.

“In addition to missiles and drones, Ukrainians have reported 7,000 guided bombs fired by Russia in four months of this year, which is about 60 guided bombs a day, and there is constant shelling in the East. This is part of Putin’s strategy,” said Borrell after the meeting. 

He added that it was “clear that Ukraine lacks weapons for self-defence and to reject Russia’s aggression”. 

“There is a clear sense of urgency for the European Union and all Ukrainian allies to act. The most important way of acting is providing air defence batteries and ammunition for these batteries,” said Borrell. He proposed to coordinate the urgent delivery of these items at EU level.

Borrell added that many countries have joined the Czech initiative in order to look for ammunitions – “everywhere in the world” – and that the first delivery will come at the end of May, beginning of June. “Others have shown their readiness to participate in the German initiative to concentrate, coordinate and push for the [reinforcement of] anti-aerial capacities,” Borrell said.

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Press release

Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the meeting