LOC12:05
09:05 GMT
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas
BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said on Monday that the European Union is facing a "make-or-break week" to take "very important" decisions on financing Ukraine, warning that settling for Ukraine's Donbas region would not be the "endgame" for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to journalists ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the bloc's headquarters in Brussels, Kallas said that "Donbas is not Putin's final goal," stressing that if he gets it, "he will demand more." She underlined that the issue of financing Ukraine "is either decided this week or not," adding: "The decisions that we have to make to support Ukraine are very important."
The EU foreign policy chief said the European Union will take decisions on Monday regarding vessels of the so called "shadow fleet," noting that "40 additional vessels have been listed," as part of efforts to "deprive Russia of the means to fund this war."
She also announced that the bloc has reached the target of the initiative to supply Ukraine with two million rounds of ammunition, saying this is "necessary for Ukraine to be able to defend itself."
Commenting on efforts to reach an agreement on financing Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, Kallas said "We are not there yet, and it is increasingly difficult, but we are doing the work and we still have some days," adding "We will not leave the meeting before we get a result."
EU leaders from the bloc's 27 member states are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Thursday to try to agree on a plan to finance Kyiv over the coming years.
Belgium, which hosts the bulk of the Russian central bank's frozen assets in the EU through Euroclear, has so far opposed a plan to use the funds to provide a 90 billion euro reparations loan to Ukraine.
The Belgian government fears severe legal and financial repercussions from Russia if the plan goes ahead and is seeking watertight guarantees to ensure risk-sharing among EU member states. Russia's central bank announced last week that it had filed a lawsuit against Euroclear. (end)
arn.gta