Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden promise more weapons to Kyiv ahead of the donor meeting
Three European countries pledge to supply Ukraine with more weapons, as the latter urges the need for a firm stance against Russia.
In response to Kiev’s appeal to allies to increase supplies “significantly” ahead of a major donor meeting to be held in Germany on Friday, three European allies, Britain, Denmark and Sweden, pledged to send missiles and artillery to Ukraine on Thursday.
The new commitments defied a Kremlin warning that criticized providing Ukraine with long-range weapons as an “extremely dangerous” escalation, which could trigger a direct confrontation between Russia and the collective West.
Britain announced the deployment of 600 Brimstone missiles to Kyiv, while Denmark declared it will supply Ukraine with 19 French-made Caesar Howitzers. In the end, Sweden stated that it would provide Kyiv with its Archer artillery system, which includes a modern mobile howitzer.
Charles Michel, EU chief it visited Kyivclaimed that he believed that tanks “must be delivered.”
On that note, Mykhaylo Podolyakthe Ukrainian president’s senior aide, said it was “time to stop trembling against Putin and take the final step.”
True leadership is about leading by example, not about looking up to others. There are no taboos. From Washington to London, from Paris to Warsaw, one thing is said: 🇺🇦 needs tanks; tanks — the key to truly ending the war. Time to stop cowering at Putin and take the final step.
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) 19 January 2023
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The EU supplied Ukraine with $12.5 billion worth of arms
On January 18, EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali announced it $12.5 billion in weapons have been sent to Ukraine, either individually by EU states or through European Union crowdfunding mechanisms.
She also said that member states of the European Peace Facility (EPF), which was established as early as 2021 to finance joint military actions, requested that more than half of the fund’s savings be returned to Ukraine (which amounts to about $3.35 billion). .
“As of today, between the EPF and the bilateral efforts of member states, the European Union as a whole has delivered 11.5 billion euros in military equipment to Ukraine,” Massrali told reporters in Brussels.
However, the spokesman avoided questions about tanks specifically. “As for tanks, I cannot say that these tanks will be part of the peace facility… Discussions are ongoing and they are confidential,” she said.
Governments are paid for military aid to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility, which is capped at about $6 billion but is also used to support other nations.
Bloomberg indicated that more than half of the fund has been pledged for military aid to Ukraine.
Read more: Germany: No Leopard tanks to Kyiv unless US agrees to send its Abrams