BRUSSELS: The Council of Europe has decided to provide Ukraine with funds within the framework of the European Fund for Peace.

The country’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said “the money was allocated to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine.”

The minister wrote “the EU Council decided to provide Ukraine with € 31 million to strengthen its defense capabilities within the framework of the European Peace Fund. We highly appreciate this step, which once again testified to the strategic nature of relations between Ukraine and the EU.”

Kuleba specified that the financial package, in particular, will include the provision of material and technical assistance for the development and strengthening of the potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such assistance, the minister added, will affect four areas – medicine, engineering capabilities and measures for mine clearance, mobility and logistics, and cyber security.

The statement on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said “it is expected that the implementation of these directions will begin in the near future,”