Situation in Ukraine makes EU military assistance 'crucial': EU foreign policy chief

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – The situation in Ukraine indicates that EU military assistance to the country is “crucial,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Tuesday.

“The situation makes that our military assistance is still more important, crucial, critical, it can make a difference,” Josep Borrell told reporters at the doorstep of the EU defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

“I think the important thing is to put the basis for better funding of the European defense development. We need more private funding and more public funding,” he said.

Asked about Hungary’s blocking stance on the European Peace Facility (EFF) fund for Ukraine, Borrell said that Budapest “has concerns which are not related exactly to defense issue.”

“Hungarian firms have been dealing with problems in Ukraine. Ukraine is dealing with the Hungarian minority in its territory. We are doing our best in order to solve these problems,” he said.