L-R: Eminé Dzhaparova, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; François Bausch, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence; Credit: MAEE

On Friday 3 June 2022, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, François Bausch, received Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eminé Dzhaparova, for a working meeting.

This meeting mainly focused on the current situation in Ukraine, the military support already provided, the current needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and the planned support of lethal and non-lethal equipment by Luxembourg's Defence.

The meeting began with an exchange of the current situation in Ukraine, from a political point of view, but also in terms of security and defence. Minister Dzhaparova emphasised that, for Ukraine, the territorial integrity of her country is a non-negotiable subject. In this context, Minister Bausch observed: "Given that we cannot count on Russia to stop its invasion, it is of the utmost importance that we support Ukraine in improving its capacities to defend itself, including by more powerful weapons".

Minister Dzhaparova thanked Luxembourg for having been one of the first European states to provide "quickly and without bureaucratic obstacles" lethal and non-lethal military equipment to the armed forces of Ukraine.

Minister Bausch, for his part, assured that Luxembourg will continue to support Ukraine in its fight to regain its territorial integrity, while consulting with EU Member States and NATO Allies, in order to respond in a concrete and coordinated way to the needs expressed by the Ukrainian armed forces.