Portugal’s contribution to EU weapons package for Ukraine between ‘€8 -10M’
In addition to financial support for this European mechanism, Portugal will also send military equipment to Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian authorities.
The Minister of Defence announced Monday that Portugal’s contribution to the European package to supply weapons to the Ukrainian army will be around “€8 and 10 million”.
Speaking to the Lusa, after having participated by videoconference in the meeting that brought together EU defence ministers today, João Gomes Cravinho said that Portugal’s contribution will be made through the country’s share of the European Peace Facility, “which has already determined a support of €450 million,” money paid “by taxpayers throughout Europe, including Portugal.
Asked about the Portuguese contribution, Gomes Cravinho specified that “it will be between €8 and 10 million”, but only a few weeks from now will there be “an exact figure”.
On Sunday, foreign ministers of the 27 gave their backing to a €450 million package to fund the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian army fighting the Russian invasion, in a decision that marks a historic turning point in the EU.
In addition to financial support for this European mechanism, Portugal will also send military equipment to Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian authorities.
This material support will be “of a lethal and non-lethal nature, for protection but also offensive material such as grenades, G3 rifles, ammunition, a set of this type of material, also other types of important material for the armed forces, such as communication material, night vision goggles,” listed the minister, information that had already been disclosed on the 26th, without specifying quantities.
“Portugal is not a typical arms supplier country, we don’t have that tradition at all, so what we can provide is material that belongs to the Armed Forces and the Armed Forces are not designed to be an arms dealer,” he explained.
As for the 174 Portuguese soldiers who will be sent to Romania under NATO, Gomes Cravinho said that a first group is leaving today to prepare for the reception of the contingent, which is being prepared, a phase that “naturally will take several weeks”.
“Several soldiers are leaving today for Romania and will work with the Romanian military authorities in preparing the reception on that side. The necessary work is underway on our side here in Portugal for the preparation of the deployment and, therefore, within a few weeks it will be projected,” he added.
