Member states should temporarily halt exports of weapons to countries other than Ukraine, Josep Borrell said on Monday, asking governments to take a "political decision" and step up ammunition supplies.
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00:00 "European member states could step up military support to Ukraine by delaying and diverting
00:06 military contracts with other countries," said the EU's foreign policy chief Josef Borrell
00:10 while in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart.
00:14 Ukraine is grappling with obstacles on many fronts, including a diminishing supply of
00:17 missiles, artillery and other weapons on the battlefield.
00:21 It comes as renewed Russian airstrikes in January caused a huge upsurge in civilian
00:25 casualties and destruction across the country.
00:28 "The quickest and cheapest and more effective way of increasing our supply of munition to
00:38 Ukraine is to stop exporting to third countries.
00:43 And this is something that only member states can do.
00:46 And this has been my request.
00:48 The best way of selling more to Ukraine or donating more to Ukraine is to try to tell
00:53 the others, 'Please, wait.
00:55 We are not at war.
00:58 You can wait some months and divert this production to Ukraine.'
01:03 This is a political decision that member states have to take."
01:07 The picture is mixed.
01:08 The EU managed to pass 50 billion euros of financial aid to keep the country running
01:12 and Germany has doubled to 8 billion euros its military support.
01:15 Although some countries haven't fulfilled all of their promises of military aid.
01:20 Kiev is also still counting on 60 billion dollars worth of support from the US Congress
01:24 which has been held up by the Republican Party.
01:27 Meanwhile, experts also say Russia, which has a much bigger manpower and financial support,
01:32 is not making any substantial gains.
01:35 "If you look at the Ukrainian side, you see a lot of problems and you've indicated the
01:41 key ones.
01:42 Manpower problems, problems with outside support and then air defences, which Russia has been
01:48 doing all it can to degrade, are not in great shape.
01:53 And that's where Western and specifically USAID is so important.
01:57 On the other hand, on the Russian side, over the last 14, 16, 18 months, Russia has made
02:03 minuscule progress on the battlefield.
02:05 Russia expended huge numbers of troops to take the city of Bakhmut before the war, a
02:09 city of 70,000.
02:11 Very dubious strategic value.
02:12 They still haven't really finished that operation."
02:14 The EU is also currently considering a 5 billion euro top-up of military aid due in early March.
02:19 Shona Murray, Euronews.
02:20 [SWOOSH]