EU ministers to discuss helping Ukraine troops

European Union foreign ministers will hold emergency talks later today to discuss ways to help Ukraine’s armed forces fight back against the Russian invasion.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will chair the videoconference, starting at 1700 GMT. Borrell says he will urge the ministers to endorse “a package of emergency assistance for the Ukrainian armed forces, to support them in their heroic fight.”

The 27-nation bloc has set up a European Peace Facility, a fund with a ceiling of around 5.7 billion euros ($6.4 billion), to bolster its military training and support missions around the world. Some of the money can be used to train and equip partner countries, including with lethal weapons.

The meeting comes a day after Germany announced a major shift in policy to send weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine.