LONDON, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) will increase its support to Ukraine and invest in its own defense, said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Wicklow, Ireland, on Tuesday.
"The EU continues to provide strong support to Ukraine through the Ukraine Support Loan," said Kallas at the press conference after the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Defense, adding that the EU has already disbursed 8.37 billion euros (9.7 billion U.S. dollars) in defense support for Ukraine and "with more to come."
On the future of the EU's Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), Irish Minister for Defense Helen McEntee said Ireland would provide 10 million euros (11.6 million dollars) to the mission as part of a wider 125-million-euro (145-million-dollar) package for Ukraine announced by Ireland in July.
Held in Wicklow on Monday and Tuesday, the informal meeting was part of Ireland's current presidency of the Council of the EU. The gathering brought together defense ministers for strategic discussions rather than formal decision-making.
The agenda included continued EU support for Ukraine, space and maritime security, and the situation in Lebanon. ■
