The ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the European Union (EU) will try to reach a political agreement today on the joint acquisition of ammunition and accelerate its delivery to Ukraine, at a joint meeting in Brussels.
Today’s meeting of Foreign Affairs and Defense ministers of the 27 – the so-called “Jumbo” format – follows the informal meeting of Defense ministers held on March 8 in Stockholm, in which the 27 already reached a agreement in principle on the general lines of the unprecedented joint acquisition of ammunition, which will now have to be ‘fine-tuned’ and confirmed in this Foreign Affairs Council and by European leaders, at the summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Brussels.
After, in a morning meeting, the heads of diplomacy already had on the agenda a discussion on the Russian military aggression against Ukraine after an intervention by videoconference of his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, in the afternoon, in the joint session with the ministers of Defence, a review will be made of the implementation of the «Strategic Compass» – one year after the adoption of the document that defines the orientation of the EU’s security and defense policy -, and then the joint acquisition of ammunition will be discussed.
The 27 will address, on the one hand, how to deliver to Ukraine as quickly as possible ammunition that Member States have in ‘stock’, especially 155 millimeters – as has been requested for a long time by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, who chairs the work – and, on the other hand, the increase in European industry production capacity and the issue of joint acquisitions, similar to what was done with vaccines during the covid-19 pandemic.
The EU has already identified 15 companies from 11 European countries capable of currently producing 155mm ammunition, which the Ukrainian army most needs.
The issue will return to the table in Brussels at the summit of EU Heads of State and Government scheduled for March 23 and 24, and in which, as has happened in all European Councils since Russia invaded Ukraine, in February 2022, support for Ukraine will be discussed.
The 27 will address, on the one hand, how to deliver to Ukraine as quickly as possible ammunition that Member States have in ‘stock’, especially 155 millimeters – as has been requested for a long time by the High Representative, Josep Borrell, who chairs the work – and, on the other hand, the increase in European industry production capacity and the issue of joint acquisitions, similar to what was done with vaccines during the covid-19 pandemic.
The EU has already identified 15 companies from 11 European countries capable of currently producing 155mm ammunition, which the Ukrainian army most needs.
The issue will return to the table in Brussels at the summit of EU Heads of State and Government scheduled for March 23 and 24, and in which, as has happened in all European Councils since Russia invaded Ukraine, in February 2022, support for Ukraine will be discussed.
Portugal will be represented at today’s meetings by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, and by the Minister of Defence, Helena Carreiras.
At the end of the day, the two ministers participate in the inaugural Forum of the Schuman Partnership for Security and Defense (Forum Schuman), which “seeks to establish a broader network of relations with international and regional actors and bilateral partners at the national level. world, with a view to facilitating dialogue and strategic reflection on international security and defense,” according to a note released by both ministries.
*With Lusa
