Changes in EU countries‘ and U.K. security policy in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine
Key highlights:
- In April 2022, it was announced that part of the US funding for military infrastructure development would be allocated to the UK. Britain has also announced that it will freeze the assets of Russia’s largest bank and stop all planned investments in Russia. It will block all coal and oil imports from Russia by 2022. In addition, the UK will reinforce its defence assistance to Ukraine with a new support package worth £100 million.
- The German Chancellor has announced his intention to create a special fund of €100 billion for the Bundeswehr, to be enshrined in the Constitution. The government will increase defence spending to €2 billion in 2022. Germany will also increase its foreign military assistance funding to €2 billion, mainly for Ukraine to help it acquire weapons. The German Finance Ministry has announced that it has allocated almost €3 billion to purchase floating LNG import terminals. However, Germany does not yet support the European Union’s ban on Russian oil imports and does not support ruble payments for Russian energy.
- During the French presidential elections, the country’s focus on defence was significantly reduced. In the wake of the war in Ukraine, the government led by Jean Castex has decided to cut €300 million from the armed forces’ budget, of which more than €200 million was to be spent on the purchase of military equipment. Although France does not publish details of the military aid, it is reported that the total cost of the aid to France was worth €120 million. This is half the amount of Estonia’s assistance to Ukraine.
- The head of the Polish Ministry of Defence approves a contract for the supply of short-range air defence elements under the Narew programme. More and more British troops are deployed on NATO’s eastern flank, including Poland. The UK will temporarily deploy its most advanced mobile air defence system, Sky Sabre, to Poland to help protect NATO’s eastern flank. In Poland, parties with different political affiliations also agree that sanctions against Russia should be stricter. Poland has also agreed to be one of the guarantors of a possible agreement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. It will also include UN Security Council permanent members, as well as Turkey and Germany.
Dorota Sokolovska is a project manager at the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, she joined the team in July 2021. She is leading a project to strengthen civil society in Belarus. Dorota also contributes to analytical content and has authored several studies on security and international relations. She has several years of professional experience in journalism. Dorota is currently studying at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, where she is interested in political philosophy and history of ideas.
Adam Roževič is a Project Manager at the EESC and also an active member of the Polish Discussion Club. Adam actively takes part in/organises various events and discussions promoting and encouraging dialogue, voicing the issues of ethnic minorities to governmental and non-governmental organisations. Furthermore, he is one of the organisers of the Young Political Scientist School, which teaches young people about fair elections, promotes the freedom of speech and equality, thus strengthening fair democratic processes in Lithuania. At the EESC, Adam contributes to various studies, writing policy papers and helping organise high-level events.
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