Willie O'Dea
Ceist:215. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Defence if she will report on her attendance at the EU Foreign Affairs (Defence) Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12169/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 17 February 2026
Ceisteanna (215)
Freagraí scríofa
I participated in last week’s meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers' format, in Brussels, on 11 February, prior to attending the Munich Security Conference over last weekend.
In the continually evolving and increasingly complex current global and regional security environment, this meeting of EU Defence Ministers was another important opportunity for EU Member States to reaffirm their solidarity with, and support for, Ukraine, and also offered a chance for substantive and meaningful discussions on the defence and security challenges currently facing Europe.
There were two main topics on the agenda: EU support to Ukraine and the Security and Defence outlook for 2026, along with an update on the state of play of Defence Readiness.
In the session on EU Support to Ukraine, which was attended in part also by Ukraine’s newly appointed Minister for Defence, Mykhailo Federov, discussions focused on cooperation in defence innovation and additional funding options for defence, including how the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan can help ensure timely delivery of defence equipment and funding for Ukraine. The working dinner which followed allowed for an exchange of views on the security and defence outlook for 2026 and the challenges that all EU member States currently face.
During my visit to Brussels, I also took the opportunity to meet bilaterally with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, and the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andreas Kubilius.