MOSCOW, March 28. /TASS/. The countries of the European Union have stepped up their military production to ensure that not only their own weapons requirements are met, but also those of the Ukrainian armed forces, Kirill Logvinov, Russia's acting Permanent Representative to the European Union, said during a Rossiya-24 TV broadcast.
"The stepping up (of military production - TASS) is undoubtedly taking place because last year many EU countries announced plans to substantially boost defense spending. Most of these funds will go to purchase this equipment. Brussels, of course, was happy about that decision," he said.
According to the diplomat, Brussels is now considering various options for how to more efficiently spend these monies. "This is geared mainly, of course, toward enterprises within the European military-industrial complex. This is a good growth opportunity primarily for those EU countries with highly developed military-industrial sectors. First of all, this means France," he added. Logvinov also recalled that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had endorsed this course of action at an informal gathering of EU defense ministers in Stockholm on March 8. The top EU diplomat stressed that, since a time of war had come, this required military thinking and a military approach. "So, the plan is to make sure that European [defense contractor] companies can provide [all necessary items] as quickly as possible and in the required quantities not only for their own national armed forces, but for the Ukrainian military as well," he added.