"There are commitments to reach €40 B this year": Latvian Defense Minister Sprūds says EU should double aid to Ukraine

He said this ahead of the meeting of EU Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministers, according to Ukrinform.

"Latvia is doing its part — 0.25% of our GDP goes to military aid for Ukraine. We train Ukrainian soldiers. We believe that a well-trained, well-equipped Ukrainian army is the best guarantee of security and lasting peace in Ukraine," Sprūds said.

In his view, European countries should sharply increase funding for military support to Ukraine.

"We’ve set a target of €20 billion, but I think we should go beyond that. There are also bigger commitments aiming for €40 billion this year. And this is something we can and should do. If every country gives 0.25% of its GDP, like we are doing, we’ll easily hit that contribution target for Ukraine," the Latvian defense chief noted.

Beyond direct financial aid, Sprūds believes it’s also crucial to invest in building up military production inside Ukraine.

"Ukrainian industry is capable of producing a lot. Again, we’re talking about financial contributions — investments in Ukrainian industry, which are vital so the country can keep up its military effort and ultimately win this war," he said.

According to Sprūds, achieving peace through strength is only possible by giving Ukraine that strength.

"We're dealing with a country that has deep-rooted imperial expansionist goals. The moment you start talks with it from a weak position, Russia starts advancing, slicing off territory bit by bit — that's its strategy. This regime doesn’t want peace — it was the one that started the war. So we have to act from a position of strength, negotiate from a position of strength — that principle must be at the heart of any diplomatic effort," he explained.

• On Tuesday, May 20, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha arrived in Brussels, Belgium. During his visit, he joined the EU Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.
• Earlier that day, the European Union approved its 17th package of anti-Russian sanctions, targeting nearly 200 ships in the so-called shadow fleet.