EU to double military spending for Ukraine
Versailles, France, Mar 11 (EFE).- The European Union is to double its spending on military support for Ukraine to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), the bloc’s leaders announced Friday following an informal summit to discuss the Russian invasion.
The proposal from the bloc’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell was backed by the EU heads of state and government attending the encounter in Versailles, France, the president of the EU Council, Charles Michel, said during a press conference.
The measure has yet to be officially adopted by the EU.
Michel added: “Two weeks ago, we woke up to a different Europe, a different world.”
“It’s undeniable that the actions we have taken over these past few days mark the birth of a European defense, which has been formally endorsed during today’s meeting in Versailles.”
Michel spoke alongside the informal summit’s host, French president Emmanuel Macron and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The leaders said the EU would continue work on a three-point plan to protect European consumers from rising energy prices while reducing the bloc’s reliance on Russian power supplies and prepare for the coming winter.
Von der Leyen said the EU would phase out its dependency on Russian oil, coal and gas by the end of 2027. EFE
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