We have a full day ahead with the defence ministers of European Union.
So first, of course, we will discuss Ukraine. July and August have been the deadliest months for the civilians in Ukraine. Russia is really escalating to hurt the people of Ukraine as much as possible to break them. The Ukrainians, of course, are standing strong, and we have to support them.
The main issue is air defence. They are lacking interceptors. We know that some of the countries have interceptors that will expire soon. So, it would be very good if those would be given to Ukraine so that they can use them to protect their people.
We are also doing the outreach for countries outside European Union to get the interceptors to protect the civilians. But of course, it is very hard.
And, at the same time, there is also work going on to put together the European interceptors – together with Ukraine.
Then we will discuss space. Space is key enabler of defence, very important. So, there is civilian usage as well as military usage. And we really need to step up so that we are still a space power, considering what is going on there. We will discuss this with the ministers.
Then finally, maritime security. There, of course, the Strait of Hormuz.
The freedom of navigation needs to be respected. The diplomatic efforts are still ongoing, but no results at the moment. For us, it is important that there are no tolls, no fees for these routes that have been open before.
And the other topic that we are discussing under maritime security is the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. What more can we do together?
And then, finally, also Lebanon. The ministers will discuss about a European mission for supporting Lebanese armed forces, considering the situation there. So I think that is about it.
Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-293168