EU Foreign Council: ‘This is not the moment to weaken our support to Ukraine’

EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels on 11 December have reiterated the need to support Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also participated in the meeting live in person and debriefed on the latest developments. 

“An overwhelming majority of Ministers was very clear: this is not the moment to weaken our support to Ukraine,” said EU High Representative Josep Borrell after the meeting. “It is the moment to continuously, stubbornly support Ukraine, increasing the support.” 

Borrell added that “Russia is regrouping, mobilising more troops, receiving and producing more military equipment”. He also said that “ahead of the winter and to underline his renewed presidential candidature [ahead of so-called presidential elections in March 2024]  Putin tries to create a new momentum in his war against Ukraine”. 

Borrell added that the EU needed to strengthen its defence industry to help Ukraine boost its defence industry. 

“We need to agree on the 8th European Peace Facility package – which is still pending – and we need to get a new European Peace Facility top-up of €5 billion,” said Borrell. “I expect the Leaders of the European Union to give guidance on these important decisions later this week.”  

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