European Union defense ministers will meet in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss military aid to Ukraine as well as efforts to strengthen Europe’s defense industry.
The EU has promised 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in military aid to Ukraine through an extra-budgetary fund called the European Peace Mechanism. But the payments are being withheld by Hungary. Each EU member state has veto rights.
“This delay can be measured in terms of human lives,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. “We have agreed that the Hungarian contribution to the European peace mechanism will not be used to provide military support to Ukraine.”
The ministers will discuss the battlefield situation in Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will also participate in the discussions.
Also on the agenda is a €1.5 billion plan established by the European Commission in March to strengthen the EU’s arms industry so that it can be better equipped to defend itself and arm Ukraine.
