"Political theatre": Blackmailing European Parliament over Patriot air defence systems may be an "empty threat"
Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Liberty's editor in Brussels, has said that the European Parliament's refusal to approve a decision on funding for the Council of the European Union due to the inability of EU countries to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot systems could be "political theatre".
Source: Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Liberty's editor in Brussels, on Twitter (X); European Pravda reports
Quote: "Sorry to dash the hopes of Ukrainian media here, but the European Parliament deciding not to approve the discharge of the Council budget for 2022 (!) to get the EU to send Patriots to Ukraine is an empty threat & pure political theatre."
Sorry to dash hopes of 🇺🇦 media here but the European Parliament deciding not to approve the discharge of the Council budget for 2022 (!) to get 🇪🇺 to send Patriots to 🇺🇦 is and empty threat & pure political theatre. The discharge is the closing of accounts, the cash is spent!
— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) April 11, 2024
Details: The journalist explained that it was a simple matter of closing the accounts, and the money had already been spent.
Background:
- Earlier, a number of MEPs reported an "unprecedented event" as the European Parliament refused to make a decision on funding for the Council of the European Union due to the inability of EU countries to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot systems.
- Guy Verhofstadt, a long-term MEP and former Belgian Prime Minister, of the Renew Europe political faction, proposed removing budget approval from the European Council agenda until member countries can find the seven Patriot systems that Ukraine urgently needs.
- On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke about the details of negotiations with allies on the supply of Patriot air defence system batteries.
- Dmytro Kuleba explained the change in Ukraine's tone in receiving air defence from Western partners by saying, "nice and quiet diplomacy didn’t work". He expressed the hope that his new style of tough diplomacy would help make a breakthrough.
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