EU leaders agreed to “urgently provide air defense to Ukraine and speed up and intensify the delivery of all the necessary military assistance, including artillery and missiles,” European Council President Charles Michel said in Brussels after the first working day of the informal EU summit in the early hours of Thursday.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Michel announced a final declaration had been adopted by members of the European Council, calling on the Council of the European Union, which brings together the member states, to ensure that the commitments are followed up.
Military assistance should be provided in full respect of the security and defense policies of the member states and taking into account their security and defense interests, EU member state leaders said.
They also welcomed the proposal to use the interest income from Russian assets frozen in EU banks for the benefit of Ukraine.
EU heads of state and government condemned Russia’s continued air and missile attacks on both civilians and vital infrastructure, including the energy sector, in Ukraine. The European Union and its member states will step up humanitarian and civil protection assistance by providing equipment such as generators and transformers, Michel added.
Also on the agenda at the summit was how to respond to Iran’s aggression against Israel with the Council deciding on sanctions against Tehran.
Member states condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel and stressed that every effort must be made to promote stability in the region and prevent the situation from deteriorating. They called on Tehran and its allies to cease any action that could increase tensions in the region.
“We call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint,” said Charles Michel, adding that national leaders had agreed to adopt sanctions against Iran but did not disclose any further details on how these would be implemented.
