Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.

Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.

Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.

Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.

Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.

Equipment such as Javelin anti-tank weapons donated by Estonia to Ukraine will be financed by the EU's European Peace Facility. (Estonian MoD)

For the first time in its 65-year existence the EU will finance and organise the transfer of lethal weaponry to a country in conflict, in this case, Ukraine, to shore up its fight against Russia. The historical decision came after a snap virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on 27 February, the fourth in a week, as the EU lined up its increasingly punitive sanctions against Moscow and its political, military and business elite.

The weaponry will be financed by the union's European Peace Facility (EPF), whose EUR5 billion (USD5.6 billion) budget for 2021–27 is designed to help weak, faltering or failed states in Europe's neighbouring regions.

“Another taboo has fallen: that the European Union could not provide arms in a war,” announced Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, after the unprecedented agreement. Noting that the decision will involve “the most important” weapons for fighting, he said, “We are going to provide even fighter jets, and not just simply ammunition.”

The ministers agreed to set aside EUR450 million to finance weapons transfers from their countries and EUR50 million for non-lethal supplies and equipment. Aside from weaponry, Kyiv has requested helmets, protective gear, and medical supplies and first-aid kits.

The total value of arms headed to Ukraine will be greater than the EPF funding because “you have to add all the materiel that the member states will be providing on their own”, observed Borrell. He added that the EU would also immediately help boost Ukraine's cyber defences.

According to EU officials, application of the EPF funds will be retroactive, reimbursing national capitals for selected transfers since 1 January. The EPF's steering committee of national representatives will decide which lethal and non-lethal transfers will qualify for the money and calculate the amounts.

One senior EU official said Poland, with its long frontier with Ukraine, volunteered to organise the logistics for transferring the weapons and supplies.

“We want to match what the Ukrainians want with what the member states can offer,” said the official on 27 February, adding, “I doubt any member state would risk sending convoys into Ukraine, so I imagine the weaponry would be handed over at the border. But it will be up to each capital to decide that. Some of these weapons will already be in hands of the Ukrainian military, having been delivered since the beginning of this year.”

The official added that all EU foreign ministers confirmed their governments will help Ukraine with either lethal or non-lethal military aid, “even those traditionally uncomfortable with arms exports. We want this discussion [of the EPF] to be an incentive for the member states to step up their deliveries”.