Portugal’s contribution to the European weapons package between 8 and 10 million euros — DNOTICIAS.PT
The Minister of National Defense announced today that Portugal’s contribution to the European package that aims to provide weapons to the Ukrainian army, which is fighting the Russian invasion, will be around “8 and 10 million euros”.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, the Mechanism to participate in the videoconference that brought together the defense ministers of the European Union today, João Gomes Cravinho said that the contribution from Portugal will be made through the country’s share of the European Peace Support, ” which has already decided on support of 450 million money”, paid “by taxpayer euros throughout Europe, including Portugal”.
Question about the Portuguese contribution, Gomes Cravinho specified that “there will be an exact number between 8 and 10 million euros”.
“The mechanism is used when it is necessary and therefore it is for this support to Ukraine,” he said.
On Sunday, the foreign ministers of the 27 approved a package of 450 million euros to finance the supply of lethal weapons to the Ukrainian army, which is fighting the Russian invasion, a decision that marks a historic turning point in the EU.
In addition to financial support for this European mechanism, Portugal will also send military equipment to Ukraine, at the request of the authorities of this country.
This material support will be “of a non-lethal nature, protective but also offensive material such as G3 grenades, ammunition, a set of material of this type, also other material important for the armed forces, such as communication material, night vision goggles. “, enumerated the minister, who had already been released on the previous day.
“Portugal is a weapons supplier that we do not provide the tradition of all weapons, therefore, we do not have this tradition of weapons available, therefore, that which we do not belong to is material that brought to the Armed Forces does not belong to the material that intervenes to be a material of ordnance”, explanation.
As for the 174 Portuguese soldiers sent to Romania within the framework of NATO, Gomes Cravinho said that a group is leaving today to prepare a reception for the contingent, which is in preparation, a phase that “naturally remains in preparation for a few weeks”.
It is in progress necessary for our side of work here in Portugal for the preparation of the race and therefore within some authorities it will be projected”, he added.