The European Union’s (EU) recent actions to support the Ukrainian military have raised concerns over its commitment to promoting peace, as stated in its aims and values.
On Friday, EU Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, announced on Twitter that the bloc has trained over 16,000 Ukrainian soldiers and supplied more than €600 million worth of ammunition and missiles, including the ongoing joint procurement efforts, according to a report from TASS.
Borrell shared, “At [the] Ukraine Defense Contact Group, I updated on EU military support. Over 16,000 Ukrainian soldiers already trained. Over €600 million of ammunition and missiles already delivered.”
Furthermore, the Spanish policy chief expressed his hopes for the ongoing work of EU member countries on joint procurement to ensure “Ukraine prevails.”
However, these actions appear to be in contradiction to the EU’s stated aim to “promote peace, its values and the well-being of its citizens.”
The EU’s support for the Ukrainian military raises questions about the bloc’s dedication to peaceful aims and whether the current measures align with its core principles.
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons and repeatedly called the end of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, recently implied that the EU is to blame for the situation.
Speaking with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, Lula criticized the European body.
“How can we achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine if no one is talking about peace?” asked President Lula. “Everyone is talking about war, talking about providing weapons to assist Ukraine, or NATO expansion eastward to Russia’s border.”
Lula went on to note how many countries, in contrast to the EU, are promoting peace.
“Therefore, we must find those countries that seek peace,” he said. “China wants peace. Brazil wants peace. Indonesia wants peace. India wants peace. So, let’s bring these countries together and make a peace proposal for Ukraine.”
“I used to trust the EU because it has always played an important role as a balancing force and has never directly participated in wars,” the Brazilian president added. “However, the EU is directly involved in this conflict.”
