Defence, 19 countries (including Italy) have applied for joint arms purchase loans

The European Commission has received requests from 19 countries for funding under the Safe programme, amounting to 150 billion: the entire availability of the instrument, launched as part of the European rearmament plan, for joint arms procurement. On the day of the informal Council of Defence Ministers in Copenhagen, largely devoted to the war in Ukraine, the most significant and concrete development came from Riga, where Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced with satisfaction that the target had been reached.

"As we strengthen the defence of Ukraine," von der Leyen said from the Latvian capital, the first stop on a tour of the EU's eastern flank countries, "we must also take greater responsibility for our own defence. With Safe we are providing the capabilities that Europe needs most. This is a joint procurement. It means air and missile defence, cyber defence, and of course drones. I am very pleased that 19 Member States, including Latvia, have now requested Safe's support. I am pleased to announce that we have reached full subscription of the full amount of 150 billion. Many Member States have indicated that they will also use it to support the Ukrainian defence industry.

Now the Commission will consider how to distribute the funds among the countries, including Italy; the first disbursements could start as early as this year.

Meanwhile from Copenhagen, where the EU defence and foreign ministers are meeting in an informal council meeting, the member states, with the notable exception of Hungary, signed a declaration, proposed by EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas, which returns to Thursday's dramatic Russian attack in Kiev that also hit the offices of the European representation. In the text, in addition to stigmatising an action that demonstrates "once again the reckless nature of Russia's attacks and its disregard for international law", it states that "the EU will continue and increase its full support to Ukraine on all fronts, including by accelerating work on the 19th sanctions package".

Sanctions will be a dossier that the foreign ministers will focus on today. According to rumours, secondary sanctions would also be under consideration to prevent third countries from helping the Kremlin to circumvent the measures already put in place by the EU, as well as further sanctions on the oil, gas and financial sectors.