EU will provide Ukraine with another €15 billion in a package

In Brussels, during an unscheduled European Council summit, seven EU member states pledged to provide Ukraine with a 15 billion euro aid package. They noted that Ukraine's security guarantees are very important for the security of Europe itself.

This was announced by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa at a press conference following the meeting, Ukrinform reports.

Support for Ukraine and security guarantees

Antonio Costa stressed that the main guarantee of security for Ukraine is its own defense capability, which has remained at a high level during more than three years of full-scale war. He emphasized that the EU will continue to support Ukraine not only during the war, but also after its end — as a future member of the European Union.

The President of the European Council also stressed that security guarantees for Ukraine are crucial for the stability of Europe and the world.

"These are fundamental values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These are global issues, and we expect all countries of the world to support the implementation of international law. Last week's vote in the UN General Assembly showed broad support for Ukraine. It is very clear that international law must prevail, and the war must be defeated," Costa added.

A new EU financial instrument for defense aid

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Commission is developing a new financial mechanism that will allow member states to jointly order military equipment for Ukraine.

According to her, there are already concrete initiatives within the EU. For example, Denmark is supporting the development of defense production in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic is coordinating the supply of ammunition.

"That is, these initiatives already define legal procedures, and now, with 150 billion euros, it will be easier to do so. A certain part of this money should be used to provide military capabilities to Ukraine. This is also a big push to support this outstanding army," said Ursula von der Leyen.

Antonio Costa also confirmed that the additional 15 billion euros in aid to Ukraine was the result of the agreements reached at the European Council meeting on March 6.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky wrote about results of the European Summit for Ukraine. Also, it was reported that the European Air Force could deploy 120 fighter jets to cover Ukraine's airspace and protect its cities from Russian missile attacks.