Media: EU countries have applied for military loans to purchase weapons for Kyiv

Politico cited sources reporting that multiple EU countries have applied for loans under the new weapons procurement mechanism and plan to use these funds to jointly purchase weapons for Ukraine.

Thomas Rainer, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said on July 29 that Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Hungary, and Lithuania have formally applied for loans under the new weapons procurement mechanism. He added that it is expected that about 20 EU countries may apply for loans.

The report stated: "Ukraine's main allies in Europe plan to apply for hundreds of billions of euros in loans from the EU to jointly purchase weapons for (Ukraine - editor's note) ... as well as to strengthen their own defense capabilities."

Sources said France may also apply for loans, while Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands are expected to refuse. According to the sources, Belgium will apply for loans ranging from 7 to 11 billion euros under the program, while Austria and Italy are reluctant to apply for loans due to concerns about increasing existing debt.

In addition, according to a Ukrainian diplomat who did not want to be named, EU countries are also exploring the possibility of purchasing weapons directly from Ukrainian companies through the SAFE tool.

Russia believes that providing weapons to Ukraine hinders the mediation of the situation, and directly involves NATO member states in the conflict, which is "playing with fire." Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov previously stated that any materials containing weapons provided to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. He said that the US and NATO are directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, not only supplying weapons but also training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries. The Kremlin previously stated that Western support for Ukraine does not help negotiations and has a negative impact.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839062338513354/

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