By KYIV. Nov 13 (Interfax-Ukraine) – French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna notes the importance of unblocking the eighth tranche of EU military assistance to Ukraine; the EU Council will instruct Head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell in view of the December EU summit, to discuss Ukraine’s security needs with Kyiv.
“Specifically, we are talking about continuing our support for Ukraine through the European Peace Facility, also through continuing training [of Ukrainian military personnel] in mine clearance, in the fight against cyber threats and other areas. We support Ukraine and will continue to do so,” Colonna said to journalists on Monday in Brussels before the start of a meeting of the EU Council at the level of foreign ministers.
According to her, after a discussion at the council and after an instruction to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Borrell, the discussion on this issue will move to the level of heads of state and government of the EU countries at a meeting of the European Council in the middle of December.
She said “Ukraine’s progress on the path to the European Union.” The French Foreign Minister called “important and noteworthy” Kyiv’s efforts to implement the reforms necessary for accession to the EU in difficult conditions.
The minister also noted the importance of unblocking the eighth tranche of EU military assistance to Ukraine. “I don’t understand the ongoing obstruction on the part of a member state. This is not justified. And in parallel, we need to move forward on the issue of the twelfth package of new sanctions and a more decisive fight against their circumvention,” the French Foreign Ministry’s head said.
