EU warned the leaders of nine countries not to step in Moscow on May 9
EU foreign policy representative Kaya Kalas warned countries that candidates for Union membership not to send their representatives to Moscow on May 9th. Russia has planned large -scale celebrations, including a military parade for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, when it marks the end of World War II.
| « Whatever participation in the parade and the festivities on May 9 will not go without consequences from a European country, given that Russia has been waging a full -scale war in Europe, » Kalas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday in Luxembourg. |
The EU has nine candidates for membership: Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Turkey.
So far, only Serbian President Alexander Vucic has confirmed that he will personally watch the parade in Moscow.
| Kalas said « the only way to get Russia to negotiate the fire more seriously is to strengthen the pressure against it. » |
Sanctions and guarantees
Kalas reported that the EU aims to accept the 17th package of sanctions against Russia in May because of the war in Ukraine, saying it would be directed against the so-called. Gray Russian Navy – Old ships floating under a foreign flag that Russia uses to circumvent international sanctions that envisage a minimum price for transactions with Russian crude oil and petroleum products.
At the same time, she acknowledged that the compulsory unanimity of the member states of the sanction package has not yet been achieved.
The EU introduced its 16th sanction package from the beginning of the war in Ukraine in late February.
Sixteen: EU sanction banks, media, ships, video cones and more oil
EU foreign ministers have discussed the extension and expansion of European missions in Ukraine as their contribution to the security guarantees of the coalition of those who want, led by the UK and France, said Callas.
The EU has a military assistance mission of Ukraine, with 73,000 Ukrainian military. 24 countries have provided training modules and staff for the courses on European territory, as well as military equipment.
European assistance to Ukraine has reached EUR 144 billion
Following the meeting of foreign ministers, the Hungarian Peter Siarto said that Budapest would block the expansion of the mission so that some of the training would be done in Ukrainian territory after the conclusion of a truce.
He threatens veto and sanctions in the event that they include restrictions on the import of Russian energy.
Military assistance
Kaya Kalas also reported that the EU has reached 70% of its goal to provide 2 million Ukraine shells, and that « a large majority of countries agreed that we should do more. » So far, only two countries – Hungary and Slovakia – have said they will not participate in the provision of military assistance to Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the year, European countries have promised 23 billion euros as military assistance to Kiev, an increase of 3 billion compared to 2024.
According to the European Commission, since the beginning of the war, the EU has provided EUR 144 billion euro assistance to Ukraine, of which almost 50 billion – military.
