Weimar+ Group and EU Pledge More Aid to Ukraine and New Sanctions on Russia
The 'Weimar+' support group and representatives of the European Union said in Madrid that they would increase their assistance to Ukraine and consider imposing new sanctions against Russia to force it to agree to peace.
This was reported by Reuters with reference to the joint declaration of the Weimar+ group.
On 31 March, at the fourth meeting of the Weimar+ support group for Ukraine, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and the United Kingdom, along with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius, discussed increasing military assistance to Ukraine, guarantees for its security and Europe's future role in the peace process.
In a joint statement after the meeting, they called on Russia to agree to an ‘immediate and unconditional ceasefire on equal terms and with full implementation’.
The diplomats expressed their readiness to increase pressure on Moscow, including through new sanctions, to ensure that Ukraine has ‘the best possible opportunity to achieve a just and lasting peace’.
The countries promised to increase military, political and humanitarian funding for Ukraine. They also emphasised that any peace agreement must include robust security guarantees for Ukraine, stating: ‘We are ready to play a leading role in this matter’.
In addition, the statement stressed that the countries would not support any agreement that would limit Ukraine's defence industry or the presence of partner troops on its territory.
The Weimar+ group also reaffirmed its intention to ensure Russia's accountability for war crimes by working to establish a special court within the Council of Europe.
The document states that the frozen Russian assets will remain blocked until Moscow ends the war and compensates Ukraine for the damage it has caused.
The meeting in Spain took place on the eve of an informal summit of EU defence ministers in Warsaw, where the focus will be on assessing the EU's real capabilities to increase military support for Ukraine, including urgent supplies of ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces.
As The Gaze reported, in February, the ‘Weimar+’ group made a joint statement that Europe and Ukraine should take part in any negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine.