Called: Decisive week for diplomacy

TT

Published 11.16

 

EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas on her way to Monday's meeting with EU defense ministers. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP/TT

The current week could be decisive for diplomacy around Ukraine, says EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas.

On her way to Monday's meeting with EU defense ministers, Kallas remains hopeful that frozen Russian state assets can be used to help Ukraine, despite strong opposition from Belgium.

- We will not leave the summit in December (18-19) without results on Ukraine's financing, says Kallas in Brussels.

Sweden's Pål Jonson (M) welcomes the fact that the Commission is still pressing.

- We know that Ukraine needs the financial muscle to be able to continue the war in the spring and therefore the frozen Russian assets are absolutely central to this, says the Minister of Defense.

On Monday, Jonson will meet his Ukrainian colleague Denys Sjmyhal to talk about the next Swedish military support package. At the same time, he is concerned about a declining trend in support from several other countries.

- That trend needs to be broken and more people must do more bilaterally. We know that sometime in the spring, Ukraine will have quite serious financial problems, warns Jonson in Brussels.