EU must increase heavy weaponry deliveries to Ukraine: PM

Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday said that the current level of support to Ukraine is not enough and the EU must also increase its deliveries of heavy weaponry to Ukraine.

“Europe must be able to respond to this challenge. It is also important to find a quick solution for increasing the capacity of our defence industry,” said the Premier at the meeting of European Council, which discussed the EU’s support for Ukraine and the global effects of the war.

According to Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Europe and its partners must convince the international community, and especially the Global South, that supporting Ukraine is about defending the rules-based international system, said a government press release.

Ukraine’s military success is a prerequisite for a just peace, the Prime Minister emphasised.

In its conclusions on Ukraine, the European Council welcomes the decision of the Council of the European Union on the urgent delivery of ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition to Ukraine and on the joint procurement of ammunition.

“In addition to these decisions, it is essential for our long-term support that we raise the total funding of the European Peace Facility by EUR 3.5 billion,” Marin added.

The European Council also discussed the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court to Russian President Vladimir Putin and stressed the importance of increasing sanctions, ensuring their effective implementation and preventing and countering their circumvention.

According to Marin, efforts to increase pressure and sanctions against Russia and the actors that support it must continue. The forced transfer of civilians and especially children to Russia is a war crime, and sanctions must be targeted at those responsible.