The Russian invasion of Ukraine had profound effects on the European Union, which, in the space of six months, took unprecedented actions in the history of the European project, with changes in energy, defense, enlargement and refugee policy.
The successive sanctions packages of an unprecedented scale imposed on Russia, covering, among others, the financial and energy sectors, including a ban on oil imports, the granting in record time of the status of candidate country for accession to Ukraine, the unprecedented financing of weapons to supply a third country, and the unusual solidarity of the 27 in welcoming millions of refugees are some examples of actions taken by the European Union (EU) practically unimaginable at the beginning of the year.
Six months later, however, there are those who fear that the unity of the community bloc, exemplary at the beginning, will also be diluted as a result of the “fatigue” of the war and the repercussions, namely economic, of the conflict, which threatens to drag on in time.
However, as several European leaders have already commented over the last few months, the “Putin war”, as it is often classified in Brussels to hold the Russian President responsible for the military aggression against Ukraine, had the power to make the EU move further. in several areas in the space of a few months than in decades, with the Defense sector probably being the most illustrative.
On 28 February, just four days after the start of the Russian invasion, the EU took the unprecedented decision to supply weapons to a third country, by adopting a €450 million assistance package to finance the delivery of lethal weapons, plus 50 million in non-lethal equipment under the European Peace Facility.
Since then, the EU has adopted four more identical packages, on 23 March, 13 April, 23 May and 22 July, thus bringing the resources already mobilized under the mechanism, an extra-budgetary instrument, to €2.5 billion. created to strengthen the Union’s ability to prevent conflicts, consolidate peace and enhance international security.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine had profound effects on the European Union, which, in the space of six months, took unprecedented actions in the history of the European project, with changes in energy, defense, enlargement and refugee policy.
The successive sanctions packages of an unprecedented scale imposed on Russia, covering, among others, the financial and energy sectors, including a ban on oil imports, the granting in record time of the status of candidate country for accession to Ukraine, the unprecedented financing of weapons to supply a third country, and the unusual solidarity of the 27 in welcoming millions of refugees are some examples of actions taken by the European Union (EU) practically unimaginable at the beginning of the year.
Six months later, however, there are those who fear that the unity of the community bloc, exemplary at the beginning, will also be diluted as a result of the “fatigue” of the war and the repercussions, namely economic, of the conflict, which threatens to drag on in time.
However, as several European leaders have already commented over the last few months, the “Putin war”, as it is often classified in Brussels to hold the Russian President responsible for the military aggression against Ukraine, had the power to make the EU move further. in several areas in the space of a few months than in decades, with the Defense sector probably being the most illustrative.
On 28 February, just four days after the start of the Russian invasion, the EU took the unprecedented decision to supply weapons to a third country, by adopting a €450 million assistance package to finance the delivery of lethal weapons, plus 50 million in non-lethal equipment under the European Peace Facility.
Since then, the EU has adopted four more identical packages, on 23 March, 13 April, 23 May and 22 July, thus bringing the resources already mobilized under the mechanism, an extra-budgetary instrument, to €2.5 billion. created to strengthen the Union’s ability to prevent conflicts, consolidate peace and enhance international security.
