Borrell: The EU will continue to send military aid to Ukraine

2024-02-18 22:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the 27-member bloc has offered "continuous assistance" to Ukraine in its nearly two-year fight against Russian occupation. The senior European official admitted that in war, this aid is "never enough", but aid, especially in the form of artillery shells, will continue to be sent to Kiev.

In an interview given to Radio Free Europe on February 18, Borrell said that the EU last year provided Ukraine with aid worth 28 billion euros, and so far this year it has pledged aid worth 20 billion. euros.

"I know, we have to do more. It's never enough when you're struggling. It's never enough," he said, while attending the annual Security Conference in Munich. "But don't say we're not doing enough every day. We do a lot. There are continuous shipments, intensive shipments of our ammunition to Ukraine. We also have my personal commitment and that of the member states that we will continue to send supplies," said Borrell.

"Ukraine needs more [aid]," he added.

Speaking about additional supplies of ammunition to Ukraine, especially the promised artillery ammunition, Borrell said that "they will come."

"We are producing them. We have increased our production capacity by 40 percent, 40 percent more," he said. "We had a low level [of arms and ammunition production] when the war started and we had to increase our production capacity. I know it's not enough. You will tell me that 1.1 million artillery shells are not enough. But our industry is selling weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces. Every day I call on the member states to go and ask for more deliveries from the European defense industries. So we will continue to do as much as we can." In late January, Borrell admitted that the EU would not meet its previously set goal of sending 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by March. He said that almost half of this amount could be shipped by March, and the rest by the end of the year.

Kiev has long complained that the lack of supplies is hampering the ability of its forces to counter attacks by the Russian military.

On February 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Western partners to send Kiev more weapons and ammunition.

These statements made in Munich came after his decision to withdraw Ukrainian forces from the eastern city of Avdijiva.