Several Countries Pledge To Provide Ukraine With Additional Air Defense Assets — Kallas

During an informal EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland, several countries pledged to provide Ukraine with additional air defense assets, according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. Kallas stated that Russia has not altered its war objectives and that recent strikes on Kyiv prove Moscow's lack of desire for peace.

The EU is prioritizing providing Ukraine with the necessary resources for self-defense, with the Ukraine Support Loan dispersing €8.47 billion and another €6.1 billion approved, including for air defense. However, Kallas emphasized that more bilateral support is required to counter Russian missiles. The EU is focused on disrupting Russian supply chains and preventing financing that enables its military-industrial complex to produce missiles used in attacks on Ukraine.

Kallas stated that Ukraine has identified over 5,500 Western and Asian components in Russian weapons after four years of war, which should not be present. The European External Action Service, along with the European Commission, is developing proposals to strengthen sanctions and prepare an expanded list of individuals and companies in Russia's military-industrial complex for sanctions this autumn.

Some foreign ministers discussed using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, but these discussions will continue. Russia must pay for the destruction it has caused, according to Kallas.