President von der Leyen hands over cars to Ukraine's security forces to enhance stability and reinforce war crime investigations in de-occupied territories

Hand over cars to Ukraine's security forces

Today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed over 50 cars provided by the EU to the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) and Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG) of Ukraine. The cars will be used to support the investigation and prosecution of war crimes in de-occupied territories and adjacent areas. The delivery is part of a larger EU support scheme to Ukrainian authorities to respond to needs related to public services in high-risk environments.

European Commission's President, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “The European Union continues standing by Ukraine. Today, I am honoured to hand over these cars to the National Police of Ukraine and to the Office of the Prosecutor General. They will help authorities stabilise the territories that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have bravely liberated from illegal Russian occupation. This delivery comes shortly after the EU provided a modern mine-clearing machine to Ukraine. With this equipment we support Ukraine in making de-occupied land safe again.”

Cars provided via the Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) are part of a larger support package for needs in high-risk environments.

The European Commission via FPI is delivering the 50 vehicles to the Ukrainian authorities. 30 are destined for the NPU and 20 for the OPG. This procurement is being carried out under the project “Integrated Response Mechanism for Ukraine”, co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Overall support under this project includes demining equipment for the Ukrainian State Emergency Services, and generators of all sizes to address energy shortages caused by Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. The budget of the support package totals around €19,9 million, out of which the European Commission contributes € 18 million and Germany € 1,9 million.

Background

The European Union has demonstrated unprecedented unity in condemning Russia's actions and in providing resolute support to Ukraine. So far, the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions have together provided wide-ranging support to Ukraine and its people, amounting to over €88 billion. This includes support to EU Member States that have provided temporary protection for around 4 million Ukrainian refugees since the start of the war. Together, this reflects the steadfast resolve of the Union to help Ukraine for as long as it takes.

For More Information

Factsheet: EU solidarity with Ukraine

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