(L-R) Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence;
Credit: MAE
The Directorate of Defence has reported that Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, participated in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence) of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday 28 May 2024.
Ahead of this Council, the meeting of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board took place. Defence ministers approved the results of the long-term review of the EDA and discussed the document on collaboration opportunities in the field of capability development that the agency identified based on bilateral dialogues with Member States.
The Council then began with a discussion on the EU's military support for Ukraine, noted the Directorate of Defence. During the first part of this discussion, the 27 EU defence ministers took stock of progress in terms of supplying Ukraine with the necessary military equipment, including air defence, munitions and missile systems. Minister Backes reaffirmed Luxembourg's continued support for Ukraine, at the bilateral level via the purchase of lethal and non-lethal equipment, as well as at the multilateral level via participation in different capability initiatives and coalitions. She welcomed the adoption of the Ukraine Assistance Fund (UAF), while noting that "the current budget of €5 billion, which represents only a fraction of the initial proposal of €20 billion, is insufficient to sustainably support Ukraine in the short, medium and long term, depending on its evolving needs."
In the second part of the Council, EU defence ministers had an informal exchange with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who took stock on the latest developments and Ukraine's most urgent needs. "Regarding Luxembourg's military support for Ukraine, we intend to maintain a high level of ambition in 2024. Thus, we have, for the first time, allocated a dedicated budget for this purpose, to the tune of €70 million. This amount constitutes a minimum," stated Minister Backes.
During the last working session, the defence ministers had an exchange of views on the EU's defence preparedness, including the European defence industrial and technological base. The Defence Directorate noted that Luxembourg "fully supports" the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and its implementation through the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). The Council also held a debate on the sources of financing to achieve these ambitions and to remedy the difficulties that defence industrial players have in accessing financing.
On the sidelines of the Council, Minister Backes had a bilateral meeting with her counterpart from Cape Verde, the Minister of State, Defence and Territorial Cohesion, Janine Tatiana Santos Lélis. According to the Defence Directorate, the two ministers notably discussed Cape Verde's defence issues, especially concerning maritime security, as well as past and future defence cooperation between Cape Verde and Luxembourg.
On Tuesday evening, Minister Backes participated in the ministerial dinner of the second edition of the Schuman Security and Defence Forum.
