EU TURNING UKRAINE INTO PART OF ITS MILITARY MACHINE

MOSCOW, JULY 30 /SRNA/ - The EU is turning Ukraine into an integral part of its military machine, preparing it for offensive operations against Moscow, Russia's Permanent Representative to the OSCE Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

"At the same time as Ukraine is being armed, NATO military exercises are expanding at an unprecedented pace, and its military infrastructure is moving closer to our borders," Polyanskiy said at a regular meeting of the Permanent Council. He warned that a network of advanced hubs for the maintenance and repair of military equipment is being created along Russia's borders, which is a characteristic feature of preparations for a long-term, high-intensity conflict. According to him, the European Commission is allocating tens of billions of euros to support Ukraine's defense capabilities. He also pointed out that several European countries, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom, have established joint ventures with Ukrainian defense companies and transferred licences for the production of cruise missiles and air defense systems, TASS reported. "The funds are being used both for direct arms supplies and for integrating Ukraine into European defense and industrial supply chains," Polyanskiy stressed.