The European Union will support the reconstruction of Ukraine with 20 billion euros and strengthen military aid and sanctions against Moscow, the Portuguese Foreign Minister announced on Monday after an informal meeting in Kiev.
The heads of diplomacy of the 27 members of the European bloc met today at an informal meeting, prepared in secret, in the Ukrainian capital, where, according to João Gomes Cravinho “a very strong political consensus on the need to support Ukraine and throughout the process necessary to remove Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine so that peace can be achieved.”
Speaking to RTP at the end of the meeting, the Portuguese official said EU diplomacy representatives spoke of “long-term financial support”.
“We are developing work here, a fund of the order of 20 billion euros, five billion euros per year for four years, to support the reconstruction of Ukraine,” Gomes Cravinho said.
On the other hand, he said, European countries have focused on “what they can do collectively in terms of military support,” namely by strengthening support for the defense industry and equipment transfers.
“We are doing it at European level. (…) There are several countries that are still very active in this issue,” said the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs (MNE).
The 27 also discussed the “strengthening of sanctions [à Rússia]through an eleventh package, which is now being prepared,” he continued.
Asked about Slovakia, where the populist Direção-Social Democracia (Smer-SSD) party, led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who opposes aid to Ukraine, won Saturday’s parliamentary elections, the Portuguese minister said several government officials with the head of the government have spoken. Slovak diplomacy.
“We are waiting for the formation of the government. And quietly we believe that there will be continuity,” he said.
João Gomes Cravinho also revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intervened in the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.
“He thanked all the countries of the European Union very much for what we have done in support of Ukraine and at the same time he warned about the fact that we are still in the middle of a war and that it was necessary to continue this support and there was a great consensus on this availability on the part of the European Union,” he described.
On the other hand, President Zelensky has also spoken about “the issue of liability; ultimately, those responsible for the crime of aggression must answer for that crime,” the minister also said, recalling that Portugal is “very active” in the process of aggression. identify which court “best meets this objective”.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
