Archyde.com news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying that during a closed-door meeting on January 23, EU foreign ministers approved a military aid package for Ukraine worth 500 million euros ($544 million). ). This 7th military aid package is one of the main agenda items of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels (Belgium).
Aid package recently approved together with an additional budget of 45 million euros for “non-lethal equipment” for military training missions for Ukraine.
Earlier, in a speech before the conference, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed confidence that the decision would certainly be passed. Meanwhile, through his personal Facebook page, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto affirmed that Hungary will not hinder the EU’s decision on a new military aid package for Kiev.
In December last year, Budapest blocked a $19 billion EU aid package for Ukraine to pressure the bloc to release billions of dollars in aid to the country.
Also at this meeting, EU foreign ministers continued to propose to Germany to deploy Leopard tanks made by this country to Ukraine, after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on January 23 that Berlin would not stand in the way. if Poland wants to deliver these tanks to Kiev.
Last week, the EU also failed to reach an agreement on sending tanks to Ukraine, because Berlin had not yet agreed to authorize the sale of these weapons. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats have insisted the West should avoid taking unexpected steps that could escalate conflicts, an approach many in the EU disagree with.
[Phần Lan cam kết cung cấp gói viện trợ quân sự mới cho Ukraine]
According to the agenda, the EU foreign ministers meeting will also discuss the 10th package of sanctions against Russia related to the conflict in Ukraine that will come into effect next month. However, according to observers before the conference, the conference may not have made a decision on this issue on January 23.
In a post on social media ahead of the summit, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Szijjarto said Hungary would not support any sanctions aimed at restricting energy cooperation with Russia. Mr. Szijjarto said the EU Council of Foreign Ministers had only discussed in general terms about sanctions, but had not yet made specific proposals, whether in the form of written or oral proposals.
In a related development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on January 23 criticized the West’s military aid worth billions of dollars to Ukraine.
Mr. Lavrov is currently on a trip to South Africa. Sputnik news agency quoted Lavrov as saying during a joint press conference with his host country counterpart Naledi Pandor, in which he emphasized that as long as the West and Ukraine refuse to negotiate, it will be more difficult to find a solution to the conflict. current conflict.
Phuong Ha (VNA/Vietnam+)