Ukraine, EU allocates another 500 million in military aid

The EU Council today adopted two measures that will bring the resources of the European Peace Facility that can be used to provide aid to the Ukrainian armed forces to 1.5 billion euros, adding another 500 million to the budget. “The next few weeks will be decisive – says High Representative Josep Borrell – as Russia prepares for an offensive in Eastern Ukraine, it is crucial to continue and strengthen our military aid in Kiev, so that they defend their territory and their population. , avoiding further suffering “. Meanwhile, the European Commission has decided that it will help Volodymyr Zelensky’s government collect and preserve evidence of war crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in Ukraine. The spokespersons of the EU executive Dana Spinant and Christian Wigand explain this during the briefing with the press in Brussels. “President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell went to Bucha last Friday – recalls Spinant – where they were able to see with their own eyes the atrocities committed against the civilian population. What we were able to see on the spot goes to beyond imagination. The president has made it clear that those who have committed these atrocities must be punished. The Commission and the EU will do everything in their power to support an investigation into war crimes in Ukraine “. Previously the European Commission has decided to allocate 9 million euros from the Eu4Health program to support the work of some organizations, such as the Red Cross, which provide psychological assistance to refugees fleeing Ukraine, in particular children and the most vulnerable people. “The brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine – says Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who is a psychologist – has exposed the horrors and scars of war. We must offer vital psychological support to all those who need it”.