Strengthening support for Ukraine and billions of euros in defense investments — details of the meeting between Rutte and von der Leyen
Kyiv • UNN
EU and NATO leaders agreed to increase aid to Ukraine, including covering the costs of Patriot air defense systems. The allies also plan to invest €800 billion in defense.
The European Union and NATO will continue to provide Ukraine with the necessary assistance and will not tolerate Russian actions such as the recent incident involving a UAV at the airport in the German city of Leipzig. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated this during a joint press conference, reports UNN.
Details
Intimidation will not work, and that is precisely why I am meeting with the NATO Secretary General today. We are united. Europe and NATO will not simply maintain the pressure on Russia. We will increase it. And we will not stop. Not until Russia stops bombing and killing innocent children, men, and women in Ukraine
At the same time, it was announced during the event that there is a new request for funding for Ukraine's Defense Forces. Its amount is several billion euros and will cover the costs of Ukraine's air defense, including the state-of-the-art "PAC-3 Patriot" air defense systems.
In addition, the NATO and EU leaders emphasized the need for a more integrated alert system across Europe. This will make it possible to intercept threats more quickly. That is why the EU and NATO proposed an €800 billion defense investment plan, including €150 billion under the SAFE initiative.
Recall
The European Union has taken another step toward introducing new sanctions against Russia. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated on September 2 that the bloc's new proposal for restrictions against 1,600 entities was advancing, while not ruling out expanding the list.