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Ukrainian soldier during an exercise

Photo: Olga Kovalova / EPA

The foreign ministers of the European Union have agreed on further military aid for Ukraine worth five billion euros.

The decision is intended to guarantee support services such as the delivery of weapons and ammunition.

A basic political agreement on this had already been reached last week.

In this way, the EU is supporting Ukraine in its self-defense in the Russian war of aggression, explained EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell.

“The EU is fulfilling its obligations,” he commented.

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) said that Europe “stands firmly on Ukraine’s side.”

The member states agreed on a reform of the so-called European Peace Facility (EPF).

This is a pot outside the EU budget through which member states can obtain partial reimbursement for arms deliveries to Ukraine.

In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for the new aid that will benefit defense efforts this year.

Five billion approved – 20 billion was planned

The five billion euros apply for the period up to 2027, as Borrell explained.

That's just a quarter of the additional 20 billion euros that the Spaniard had originally asked for.

According to the European distribution key, this would have meant an additional contribution of five billion euros for Germany alone, as the largest economy.

However, in view of tight budgets, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) urged that bilateral German military aid for Kiev be taken into account.

According to Berlin information, it will amount to more than seven billion euros this year.

According to diplomats, this is now possible, meaning Berlin will probably not have to pay in any fresh money.

Berlin had previously argued that bilateral aid could often be provided more quickly and efficiently.

The negotiations had dragged on for months

Because of German and French resistance, negotiations on the new support fund for Ukraine dragged on for months.

France had demanded that only weapons and ammunition produced in Europe be financed with EU funds.

The government in Paris argued that the defense industry in the EU needed firm orders in order to be able to permanently expand its production and survive against international competition.

Opponents of the regulation, however, argued that the first thing to do was to quickly support Ukraine.

In the end there is now a compromise that the European defense industry should be given priority for orders.

However, if this cannot deliver quickly enough for Ukraine's needs, EU money should also be able to be used to pay for orders to companies in non-EU countries.

Paying out military aid is already difficult.

Hungary has been blocking a tranche of 500 million euros for months.

The heads of state and government, who will meet from Thursday, still want to welcome the agreement at their summit, as can be seen from the draft summit declaration, which is available to the AFP news agency.

mgo/AFP/dpa