EU-Ukraine summit calls on Iran to "stop military support" to Russia

BRUSSELS, Feb 3 (KUNA) - The European Union and Ukraine Friday condemned Iran for "supplying arms" to Russia and called on Tehran to stop it.
"We strongly condemned the military support to Russia's war of aggression provided by the Iranian authorities, which must stop. In this context Ukraine welcomed the EU restrictive measures adopted on 12 December 2022," said a joint statement released after an EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv today.
The summit discussed how to further support Ukraine and how to increase collective pressure on Russia to end its war and to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, said the 32-point joint statement released after Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, met in Kyiv today for the 24th EU-Ukraine Summit.
The EU reiterated its readiness to support Ukraine's initiative for a just peace based on respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and expressed support for the peace formula of President Zelenskyy and the EU's commitment to actively work with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan.
"In this regard, we support the idea of a Peace Formula Summit aiming at launching its implementation. We will work together to ensure the widest possible international participation," it said.
"The EU will support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people against Russia's ongoing war of aggression for as long as it takes," stressed the statement condemning the "systematic use by Russia of missiles and drones to attack civilians, and civilian objects and infrastructure across Ukraine." The EU recalled the decision by the European Council to recognize Ukraine's European perspective and grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country. The EU reiterated its commitment to support Ukraine's further European integration. The EU will decide on further steps once all conditions specified in the Commission's opinion are fully met.
Ukraine welcomed the EU's commitment to continue providing political and military support as long as it takes. This includes military assistance of more than 3.6 billion euros (USD 3.9 billion), and the launch of the EU Military Assistance Mission to train an initial 30, 000 soldiers in 2023.
Together with the military support provided by EU Member States, the overall EU military support to Ukraine is estimated at close to 12 billion (USD 13 billion).
The statement underscored the importance of further implementing the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes. Covering trade across all sectors and connecting Ukraine with the EU and the rest of the world, they have become a lifeline for Ukraine's economy.
Between May and December 2022, they have allowed for the export of about 45 million tons of Ukrainian goods and equally importantly the import into Ukraine of about 23 million tons of goods it needs, generating an estimated 20 billion euros (USD 21 billion) in revenues for Ukrainian farmers and businesses. (end) nk.aa