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EU would be reckless to set up new aid fund for Ukraine — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova stresses that "it will mean further massive investment in prolonging the hostilities in Ukraine"

MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The European Union would be reckless to set up set up a military aid fund for Ukraine, as that would prolong the conflict. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We know from news media reports that a discussion to do this is underway within the EU. As it was reported today, there is an upcoming meeting of European Union foreign ministers, and they will apparently circle back to this issue again. If this decision, we qualify it as reckless, is made, it will mean further massive investment in prolonging the hostilities in Ukraine," she said at a news conference.

The diplomat also said "they do not analyze what will happen to the weapons that are already now in great numbers entering the black market of illegal weapons."

"Many of the supplies do not even reach the Kiev regime, let alone the battlefield, but simply end up in the hands of resellers and become illegal goods," Zakharova said.

Politico reported the EU is set to propose establishing a new 20 billion euros fund to cover the next four years. This aid plan comes on top of the European Commission's proposed package of 50 billion euros in budgetary assistance, also covering four years, and the European Commission has already called on EU member countries to make additional contributions to the bloc’s budget to fill the fund.