POLITICSEUROPE
EU foreign ministers meet on Ukraine aid, Hamas sanctions
3 hours ago3 hours ago
Josep Borrell, the bloc’s top diplomat, said he hoped the meeting would result in a new aid package for Ukraine, as well as sanctions on Hamas and violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
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Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks in front of EU flag.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the war in Gaza has become a “graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law.”Image: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP
EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, Belarus, the situation in the Middle East and other current affairs.
The meeting is led by the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who earlier on Monday had an informal discussion via video conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
What’s on the agenda?
The foreign ministers, together with their Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, who participated over video conference, addressed the issue of Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine.
Considering the ongoing support of Belarus for Russia, the ministers were expected to discuss the latest developments in Russia’s neighboring country, particularly the deteriorating human rights situation.
The situation in the Middle East was also high on the agenda amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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EU allocates €5 billion to support Ukraine militarily
Top diplomats representing the EU’s 27 countries agreed to increase its support to Ukrainian armed forces by €5 billion (around $5.45 billion) under the European Pace Facility (EPF) for military assistance to Ukraine in 2024.
For this purpose, they have set up a special Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF) within EPF, the European Council said in a statement. The newly established fund will allow the EU to further support the evolving needs of the Ukrainian military through the provision of both lethal and non-lethal military equipment and training, it added.
“With the fund, we will continue to support Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s war of aggression with whatever it takes and for as long as we need to”, EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
What are other possible outcomes?
Regarding the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the EU is working on further sanctions that could be imposed on around 30 people under the EU instrument against human rights violations.
A mourner lays flowers on the grave of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the Borisovo cemetery in Moscow, Russia. A mourner lays flowers on the grave of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the Borisovo cemetery in Moscow, Russia.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was declared dead in a Russian prison on February 16, 2024.Image: OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images
The EU’s Josep Borrell is also positive toward an agreement within the EU to impose sanctions on both Hamas, the Islamist militant group which the EU classifies as a terrorist organization.
Borrell said sanctions against violent Israeli West Bank settlers were also on the table.
“It seems that today all will agree on putting sanctions on both Hamas and the violent settlers who are harassing Palestinians in the West Bank,” Borell told reporters ahead of the meeting on Monday.
as/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
