BREAKING

EU provided Ukraine with $12.5bln worth of weapons

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Jan 2023 19:57

The arms were provided either individually by EU states or through the European Union's crowdfunding mechanisms.

12.5 billion dollars worth of weapons to Ukraine by the EU — German army battle tank Leopard 2, Lithuania, May 17, 2017 (*Reuters*)

Today, EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali announced that $12.5 billion worth of weapons have been dispatched to Ukraine, either individually by EU states or through the European Union's crowdfunding mechanisms.

She also said that member states of the European Peace Facility (EPF), which was established back in 2021 to finance joint military action, requested that more than half of the savings of the fund be reimbursed to Ukraine (which amounts to around $3.35 billion).

"As of today, between the EPF and bilateral efforts of member states, the European Union as a whole has supplied 11.5 billion euros in military equipment to Ukraine," Massrali told reporters in Brussels.

The spokesperson, however, avoided questions about battle tanks in specific. "As far as tanks are concerned, I can't say that these tanks will be part of the peace facility... Discussions are ongoing and they are confidential," she said.

Governments are repaid for military assistance to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility, which has a cap of approximately $6 billion but is also used to support other nations.

Bloomberg indicated that more than half of the fund has been pledged for military assistance to Ukraine.

It is also notable to mention that Poland, which is pushing Germany to approve Leopard 2 deliveries to Ukraine, accounted for half of the reimbursement requests under the EPF mechanism.

Poland has played a key role in the liaison between Ukraine and NATO ever since the onset of the war which started last year. Not only did they serve as a venue for meetings and coordination, but Warsaw has also actively lobbied for arming Ukraine by NATO and western countries.

Poland is looking to create a coalition of Kiev's allies with the aim of organizing joint military hardware deliveries to Ukraine.

For instance, on January 16, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki demanded during a visit to Berlin that Germany give up its opposition to a Warsaw-led initiative to send tanks to Ukraine.