The foreign ministers of the European member states were again unable to reach agreement on the allocation of the eighth tranche of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 500 million from the European Peace Fund.

EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced this at a press conference at the end of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

According to him, the foreign ministers discussed how to meet "Ukraine's most urgent needs, its defence needs." "We have not yet managed to solve the problem of the eighth and last tranche of the European Peace Fund. We are still looking for a solution there, but one way or another we will find a solution to this issue," he said.

However, he did not specify which country specifically opposes the allocation of this tranche and for what reasons. At the same time, it is known from diplomatic sources that Hungary is preventing the release of the last tranche.

The High Representative also said that the ministers discussed security commitments that guarantee Ukraine's security in the medium and long term. "We made a proposal that combined traditional military assistance with other aspects that would help not only guarantee security, but also really improve Ukraine's resilience, economic and industrial resilience," he added.

Borrell noted that the Council is awaiting guidance from this week's European Council meeting to continue to move forward with the already announced proposal to create a Ukraine Fund, but that this "needs the necessary political leadership."

The High Representative also touched upon the issue of the Peace Formula, a summit for which will soon be held in Malta in order to “try to get the broadest possible support (for the formula) among UN members.”