EU defence ministers discuss Iraq, Ukraine situation

EU ministers of defence will hold an informal meeting in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss a number of issues including the crises in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, EU officials said here Monday.

The officials speaking on condition of anonymity told journalists that there will be no EU military engagement in Ukraine or Iraq.

The officials pointed out that the NATO summit in Wales last week proposed an international collation to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq , but added that this is an issue for NATO member states to decide, and EU member states will not engage in these discussions.

They also said that the issue of supplying weapons to the Kurds in Northern Iraq remains the national decision of EU member states and not of the EU as such.