The Russian media are manipulating the topic of the resale of Western weapons supplied as part of military assistance to Ukraine. This time, pro-Kremlin media said that the European Union feared a flood of weapons, drugs and illegal migration from Ukraine.
The European Union expressed concern about the possible increase in smuggling of firearms and drugs from the territory of Ukraine. The European Union is concerned about the risks of smuggling firearms and drugs from Ukraine, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said in Prague, where an informal meeting of EU Interior Ministers with the participation of ministers from Ukraine and Moldova is taking place.
“We have some data, but experience suggests that weapons are often moved during or after wars. We know how many weapons are now in Ukraine and, of course, not all weapons are always in the right hands,” RIA Novosti quotes the European Commissioner. The EU wants to avoid the growth of smuggling of firearms, as it was after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, she said. “We know from the war on the territory of the former Yugoslavia that we are still experiencing problems with weapons that fell into the hands of criminal groups from there. This fuels the violence in the European Union. We must be ready to work together, including with Moldova and Ukraine,” the European Commissioner said, adding that for cooperation with Moldova, the Security and Border Protection Special Hub will be launched in Chisinau on Monday. Not only the EU, but also the UN is concerned about the emergence of a new drug production and new smuggling routes, Johansson also noted.
The European Union is concerned about the risks of smuggling firearms and drugs from Ukraine, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said at a briefing in Prague, RIA Novosti reports. “We have some data, but experience suggests that weapons are often moved during wars or after. We know how many weapons are now in Ukraine and, of course, not all weapons are always in the right hands, ”she said. According to her, the EU wants to avoid the negative experience of the increase in firearms smuggling after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.
In fact, on July 11, the European Commission announced its intention to strengthen border security due to Russia’s unjustified aggressive invasion of Ukraine. There is no mention in the document of Ukraine’s resale of Western weapons or Ukraine’s involvement in drug trafficking. The Russian media created manipulative news about the “resale” of Western weapons by Ukraine against the backdrop of the European Commission’s statements on the joint creation with the Moldovan authorities of the Internal Security and Border Management Support Center of the Republic.
On July 11, the European Commission issued a press release announcing the intention of the EU countries, together with Moldova, to strengthen border security in connection with Russia’s unjustified aggressive invasion of Ukraine. That is, the document does not mention that Ukraine resells Western weapons or is engaged in drug trafficking – this is the Russian media fake. The text cites the words of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, who said that the Russian war of aggression has led to an increase in internal security threats both in the EU and in Moldova. Against the background of the Russian war, large criminal groups may become more active, Johansson said. Moldova should play a key role in eliminating the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the field of combating crime. Separately, the statement said, that Ukraine is not to blame for the security crisis in Europe, but only Russia and its aggressive policy. “Russian military aggression against Ukraine is a challenge for all of us and has a significant impact on our internal security,” Johansson said.
Despite statements by the Russian media about “Ukrainian criminals”, the European Union has repeatedly noted the success of Ukraine’s efforts to ensure security on the Ukrainian-European border. On June 30, the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) once again highly appreciated the resilience of the border and customs services of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. EUBAM stressed that the regulatory agencies of Ukraine and Moldova have shown excellent work in supporting citizens fleeing the war by ensuring border security. Disinformation about the resale of Western weapons by Ukraine has been repeatedly refuted by donor countries.
Partners of Ukraine reported that they were aware of the location of weapons provided to Ukrainian defenders as part of EU and US military assistance. On July 8, Pentagon representatives once again emphasized that the Ukrainian side is in constant contact with its American counterparts, thereby ensuring the transparency of arms control.