EU to spend 900 million euros of income from Russian assets on weapons and ammunition for Ukraine

The European Union (EU) will allocate 900 million euros of income from the frozen assets of the Russian Federation for the purchase of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine. This was announced on May 12 by the European Commissioner for Defense, Andrew Kubilius, during a speech at the EU Defense Industry Forum.

"By the end of the year, the EU will allocate another 900 million euros for the purchase of shells and weapons for Kiev," he is quoted as saying on the website of the European Commission (EC).

Charles Fries, a representative of the European Union's foreign policy service, added that the EU would allocate €1 billion for the production of UAVs and missiles in Ukraine.

"The contracts were signed in Lviv last week, and now the money will be invested in advanced developments in the Ukrainian defense industry," he stressed.

Copies at the ready: how Europe will replace American weapons for Ukraine

It does not have complete analogues of the HIMARS-type MLRS, and the EU countries do not intend to share tanks.

On May 9, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced that Denmark, France and Italy would purchase weapons for Kiev worth €1 billion. He recalled that on that day, the EU announced its intention to allocate almost €1.9 billion from the frozen assets of the Russian Federation for military support of the Kiev regime.

On May 8, European Commissioner for Economics Valdis Dombrovskis announced that the EU had transferred €1 billion to Ukraine's accounts as the next tranche of proceeds from the reinvestment of frozen assets of the Russian Federation. The European Commissioner noted that this year, thanks to this program, Ukraine has already received €6 billion.