The defense ministers of the European Union member states have approved a proposal to provide another EUR 500 million to Ukraine for armaments. The decision has yet to be formally approved.

"The additional tranche of EUR 500 million will bring to EUR 2 billion the total military support from the European Union. But this is just a part of the European effort: the Member States, from their side, they are also doing a lot of effort. I will not give you the total amount, but it is much more than people believe. We think that it's a good thing to continue doing… and we have to continue until the end," EU High Representative Josep Borrell said at a press conference following a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence), which took place in Brussels on Tuesday. It is he who is the initiator of the fourth tranche to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility.

The European Council told Interfax-Ukraine that the ministers had made a political decision, which still had to be formally approved.

Speaking about the last meeting regarding the discussion of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, Borrell said that Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana joined the defense ministers of the European Union member states through a video conference.

In particular, the Ukrainian minister informed about the situation on the ground and the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the EU continues to support. Borrell said that this support makes a difference on the battlefield in terms of the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. The EU has to support Ukraine's efforts. The EU has to reschedule resources and has to say that this support is critical at this moment because the war is at a critical turning point, Borrell said. "We cannot allow Ukraine to run out of equipment," Borrell said, explaining the EU's position.

Borrell also mentioned the battle in Donbas, "the counter-offensive of the Ukrainians, who pushing the Russians, having an extraordinary success." "The attack against a column of Russian tanks shows that the Ukrainians continue to have an incredible capacity to resist and counterattack," the High Representative of the EU said.