EU Ministers meeting as Ukraine pleas for help amid mounting death toll

By Stefan J. Bos
 
Although Ukraine still awaits more than 100 billion dollars in postponed European Union and United States aid, the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, urged Ukrainians not to worry.

Speaking ahead of a foreign ministers meeting, Borrell made clear that Europe's attention to Ukraine will not be drifted away by the Israel-Hamas war. "The fact that we are engaged [in] looking for a solution in the Middle East doesn't mean that we are not continuing to support Ukraine," he stressed. The first one intervening [at the EU meeting] will be the Foreign Affairs Minister of Ukraine [Dmytro Kuleba]," Borell stressed.

He told Ukrainians: "Don't worry, don't worry. The Ukrainians don't have to be worried. European support continues as strong as ever, and it will continue."  

Borell spoke amid concerns that Ukraine's lack of ammunition will increase its losses on the battlefields.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are believed to have been killed and injured on both sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

There are also concerns about a mounting death toll among civilians, with Russia accusing Ukraine of killing and injuring scores of people when shelling a suburban shopping area in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military has denied they attacked the market, and Russia's claims could not be independently verified.

However, 50 billion euros ($54.5 billion) in EU aid for Ukraine has been postponed after Hungary vetoed the move. At the same time, about 60 billion dollars in U.S. aid for Kyiv has yet to be transferred due to political wrangling there.

It comes despite North Korea being accused by British intelligence sources of supplying weapons to Russia in breach of international law.

Iran is also involved with Kyiv saying that Russian forces attacked with eight Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which were all shot down.

The overnight attacks reportedly took place across southern and central areas of Ukraine at a time when the war will soon enter its third year.

Amid the clashes, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited Kyiv, where he pledged his nation's support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

He also vowed to solve tensions with Polish truckers and farmers who were recently protesting at the Polish-Ukrainian border amid fears that cheaper Ukrainian products and services will enter the market leading to more competition.