Italian Foreign Minister Tajani: EU arms purchase for Ukraine will follow the example of COVID-19 vaccines

ROME, March 20 – RIA Novosti. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the European Union’s purchase of ammunition for Ukraine would be “like a state contract”, following the example of purchasing a vaccine against Covid-19.

“Today Europe decided to spend a second billion euros on the supply of ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As with vaccines (from Covid-19), it will be something like a state contract for a single purchase.” He spoke to reporters at the end of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers in Brussels.

According to Tajani, China’s settlement plan in Ukraine is not “satisfactory”, although it has “debatable points”. Italian Deputy Prime Minister, whose speech was published on the EC website, said, “However, I repeat, negotiations (on Ukraine) should not end with respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.” said.

Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell said that 18 countries (17 EU countries and Norway) have participated in the European Defense Agency’s project to order industrial munitions for Ukraine.

Russia had previously sent a note to NATO countries for arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reported that NATO countries were “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping weapons into Ukraine from the West does not contribute to the success of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect.