2023-11-13 20:57:22
At the top of the agenda at the meeting of defense ministers in Brussels on Tuesday is the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The EU’s reactions to the increasing security and defense policy challenges such as the launch of the rapid reaction force as well as ammunition deliveries and additional military aid for Ukraine will also be discussed. Austria is represented by Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP).
The meeting starts with a working breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The Rapid Deployment Capacity is expected to be operational in 2025. The plan is for 5,000 soldiers to provide the EU with a faster response to crises. According to Brussels diplomats, the provision of ammunition to Ukraine is not going according to plan: around a third of the one million rounds planned by 2024 have currently been made available. The goal may therefore not be achievable. EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell’s proposal to mobilize an additional 20 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine from 2024 to 2027 is also unlikely to be implemented quickly. It is viewed critically by some member states and is likely to be revised.
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