EU decision on €5 billion in military support, armor coalition for Ukraine: highlights for March 18
The EU will allocate an additional €5 billion for military support to Ukraine. Poland and Germany will form an armor coalition to support Ukraine. The government has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill to increase the number of State Border Guard Service employees to 15,000. We have collected the main news for March 18.
€5 billion from the EU for defense
The EU Foreign Affairs Council agreed to allocate an additional €5 billion for military support to Ukraine under the European Peace Fund.
"The EU is fulfilling its commitments. The Ukraine Assistance Fund turns our words into actions. Thanks to the fund, we will continue to support Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's aggressive war," said EU diplomat Josep Borrell.
The armor coalition
Poland and Germany have agreed to create a coalition of armored vehicles to support Ukraine. According to Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy will join the coalition.
The two countries also agreed to create a rapid response force in Europe.
Bill to increase the number of State Border Guard Service personnel
The Cabinet of Ministers registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine draft law No. 11901, according to which the number of personnel of the State Border Guard Service should increase to 15,000.
The increase in the number of staff is due to the "urgent need to increase combat reserves" for the post-war period.
Government approves reform plan to receive €50 billion from the EU
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a plan for the Ukraine Facility, a program under which Ukraine will receive €50 billion from the EU in 2024-2027.
In particular, it includes European approaches to public administration reform, anti-corruption, economic and sectoral reforms in various industries, from energy to agriculture.
Three more families left occupied territories
Three more families with children from the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk oblasts have moved to the government-controlled territory.
Among them is a family with a three-year-old child who lived in Enerhodar. The family members worked at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, and when they refused to cooperate with the occupation authorities, they experienced "Russian courtesy," said Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Two families with 8-year-old and 9-year-old boys were also taken out.
Other important news
- Vladimir Putin won the Russian presidential "election".
- The Senate will appeal to President Joe Biden to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
- People are being evacuated from the border of Sumy Oblast due to intensified Russian shelling.
- PM Denys Shmyhal said, "We believe that we will be able to start negotiations on EU accession in the first half of 2024."
- The Ministry of Health has recorded an increase in the number of Ukrainians diagnosed with PTSD in two years.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko urged the Bihus.Info outlet to pass on data from the investigation into the former head of the subway to law enforcement.
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