On the 27th local time, the European Union announced that it agreed to use the so-called "European Peace Fund" to spend 500 million euros (about 3.53 billion yuan) to provide lethal weapons and other assistance to Ukraine, almost all that the "peace fund can spend this year." EU leaders called the move a "watershed" in history, with the EU "another taboo disappearing" and "this war requires our intervention".
At the same time, the EU also announced the closure of airspace to Russian aircraft, escalated sanctions on Belarus and Belarusian leaders, and similarly imposed a ban on Russian media such as "Russia Today" as "unprecedented".
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According to the European version of the EUROPEAN union website and the US news website "Politico" on February 27, the EU treaty prohibits it from using the regular budget to fund operations with military or defensive implications. According to the plan announced on the 27th, the EU will use the extrabudgetary so-called "European Peace Fund" funding tool, which can provide up to 5 billion euros for military assistance.
Last March, the EU summit adopted the so-called "European Peace Fund" to fund the EU's overseas operations.
Screenshot of the report
Borrell, the EU's head of foreign policy, described that "another taboo has disappeared, namely that the EU does not provide weapons for war, but yes, we are doing this ... This war requires our intervention to support the Ukrainian army. ”
According to him, the EU has agreed to "provide 450 million euros worth of weapons support to the Ukrainian army, with lethal weapons, lethal aid, and 50 million euros of non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment." ”
One diplomat said that amount was equivalent to 10 percent of the €5 billion for the European Peace Fund's 2021-2027 budget cycle and "almost all we can spend this year.".
This plan was reached at an emergency video conference of the foreign ministers of EU countries on the evening of the 27th. European Commission President von der Leyen told a media conference that "for the first time ever, the EU will allocate funds to buy and transport weapons and other equipment for a country under attack." It's a watershed. ”
The plan came a day before the plan was announced, the German government had already said it would supply Ukraine with lethal weapons. The report also described this as a "historic shift" for a country that has long banned the delivery of such weapons to conflict zones.
Von der Leyen and Borrell also said the proposal would also reinforce international support for Ukraine by consolidating a package of measures previously announced by the European Union, which aims to strengthen international support for Ukraine by imposing more financial sanctions on Russia, such as removing "selected Russian banks" from the Swift International Settlement System.
In addition, the EU has embarked on similar action after most EU countries closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.
Von der Leyen also announced a ban on so-called Kremlin "media machines" such as Russia Today and the Russian Satellite News Agency, which he also called "an unprecedented move." Sanctions against Belarus and Belarusian leaders will also be tightened, with restrictions affecting The Minerals, Fuel, Tobacco and Steel Industries in Belarus, as well as "those Belarusians who helped Russia fight."
Von der Leyen praised Ukrainian President Zelensky for his "impressive leadership and courage." She told Euronion that "Ukraine is one of us and we want Ukraine to join the European Union".
On the morning of the 28th, Zelenskiy said on social media that he had spoken to von der Leyen on the phone and "talked about specific decisions on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, macro financial assistance and Ukraine's accession to the European Union."
But Euronews noted that while von der Leyen has made clear her support for Ukraine's accession, she has no comment on Zelenskiy's previous request for "fast accession."
"We have a process with Ukraine [of joining], for example, to integrate the Ukrainian market into a single market, and for example, we have very close cooperation on the energy grid," von der Leyen said. We work closely together on many topics. Indeed, over time, they belong to us. They are part of us and we want them to join. ”
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