“Massive” Russian attack leaves at least one dead in Odessa, southern Ukraine – rts.ch

The European Union announced Thursday that it had, for the first time, financed the joint purchase of arms by the 27, most of which were for Ukraine.

The EU had already financed arms purchases to help kyiv, but outside its budget, thanks to an ad hoc financial instrument.

“This is the first time that we have used the EU budget to support Member States in the joint purchase” of weapons, underlined Thursday the Vice-President of the European Commission Margrethe Vestager, quoted in a press release.

The EU has invested 300 million euros to help around twenty member states buy anti-aircraft defense equipment, armored vehicles and munitions, most of which will go to Ukraine at war, according to this text.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the EU has been working to strengthen its defense industry and its ability to help kyiv.

It thus set up a financial aid mechanism aimed at encouraging the purchase of ammunition by the 27, promising to deliver at least one million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of March 2024. This However, this objective has not been achieved, but it will be before the end of the year, promised the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell.