Borrell: Ukraine's weapons supply is draining EU reserves

Senior UN officials attended the meeting in the Czech capital, NATO and the European Parliament. The meeting is expected to address the issue of increased weapons production, Ukrainian training and the possibility of stopping tourist visas for Russian citizens.

In discussions being held in the Czech capital, EU foreign and defence ministers discussed ways to increase weapons production, increase Ukrainian forces' military training while the end of the war in Ukraine, which started in February, does not appear on the horizon.

“We are depleting our reserves,” of weapons told reporters in Prague EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“We are offering Ukraine enough military capacity to replenish our reserves. Ukraine needs support. But, we will continue to support Ukraine with more initiatives such as training missions that ministers will discuss”, said Mr. Borell.

European ministers will discuss what role the EU can play in training new Ukrainian recruits on European soil, as the number of soldiers killed is increasing as officers who can normally offer training are engaged in battle.

We are training Ukrainian soldiers in Britain and working with Germany for new demining training. We think this is the right step to take now”, said Kaysa Ollengren, Dutch Defence Minister.

Foreign ministers will also discuss whether to impose further visa restrictions on Russians, an effort to increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin, as the war he started six months ago has caused major economic losses for the world.

The Kremlin reacted by criticising several European leaders' calls for the ban on visas for Russian tourists, saying the proposals were <x0-orritional” and the latest manifestation of the Western anti-Russian agenda.

However, the news agency “Reuters” reports seeing a memorandum where the two main EU countries France and Germany have voiced themselves against proposals to limit visas for Russians.

We know there are different views among Europeans on the issue. These are very serious decisions that especially target our citizens. Of course, such decisions cannot go unanswered. But in any case, when we respond, we will do it the way that best fits our interests and protects the interests of our citizens”, said Mr. Peskov.

The eastern and Nordic EU member states are the ones that have strongly argued about a full ban on tourist visas for Russians, saying travel to Europe is a privilege, not a right.