EU says supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty, prosperity remains 'top priority'

Supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and prosperity remains a top priority for the EU, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean said Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Dubravka Suica expressed the bloc's "unwavering support" for Ukraine as the EU has recently announced a new €3.5 billion ($3.67 billion) payment for Ukraine

"There will be a Special European Council on the 6th of March, and we will present a comprehensive plan on how to scale up our European arms production and defense capabilities," she said, adding that this is about Ukraine.

Suica mentioned that the situation in the Middle East was the second topic that they discussed during the General Affairs Council earlier Tuesday as she noted that they had a "very constructive" Association Council meeting with Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Monday.

"We think that Israel should play a central role in this regard and we stand ready to play a much bigger role in the Middle East," she added.

According to Gaza's government media office, nearly 1.5 million Palestinians have been left without home or shelter since the start of the Israeli war.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since last month, pausing the genocidal war that has killed at least 48,350 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Suica also added that competitiveness was another agenda item at the talks, adding "there is no competitiveness without security."

"This is why I'm mentioning Ukraine and the Middle East first," Suica said, expressing that Europe will remain globally relevant only if they maintain a strong economic base which "cannot be done without security."