EU chief diplomat outlines topics for discussion with Ukraine's defence minister at Council of EU meeting

European ministers will discuss military support for Ukraine from the EU, as well as cooperation in defence innovation, with Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting at the level of defence ministers, which will take place on the evening of 11 February, in Brussels.

Source: Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, before the start of the Council meeting on 11 February, as reported by European Pravda's correspondent in Brussels.

Details: On 11 February in Brussels, the Council of the EU will discuss defence innovation and military support for Ukraine with Fedorov.

"We have Fedorov, the new Defence Minister of Ukraine, who is known for his defence innovation. And he's participating in the meeting … We are discussing what more we can do in order to help them, but there's also a lot we have to learn from them when it comes to defence innovation," Kallas said.

She stressed that it should be kept in mind that "Russia is not winning this war. The casualty rates are surging. Their economy is not doing well."

"Then, of course, we are also discussing our contribution to the security guarantees. We have been discussing the training of the Ukrainian soldiers also on the soil of Ukraine. We have identified two training centres that could be used for that purpose," the EU's top diplomat said.

Ministers will also raise the issue of providing Ukraine with a €90 billion loan over the next two years.

"It is very important that the urgent priorities of Ukraine are important, and also the flexibility of using these funds is important. But in addition to that, we also need private capital, and for that, we have two proposals for the European Investment Bank," Kallas explained.

Background:

• On Wednesday 11 February, EU defence ministers are set to plan further military assistance to Ukraine at the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) meeting, with Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov taking part in the discussion.
• On Wednesday 11 February, the European Parliament supported the European Commission's proposal to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan to finance military and budget expenditures in 2026-2027.
• Sources of European Pravda had earlier reported that, as part of security guarantees, the EU plans to set up two military training centres in Ukraine.

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