EU to deliver nearly 170,000 artillery shells to Ukraine by end of March – FM Kuleba
illustrative photo/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
The European Union aims to transfer almost 170,000 artillery ammunition to Ukraine by the end of March.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, announced this following a conversation with the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
He emphasized that artillery shells are now an "absolute priority." Therefore, the EU is also working on further increasing the volume of deliveries.
Kuleba noted that the EU has already made "historic decisions" regarding the provision of weapons to Ukraine, the introduction of sanctions against Russia, the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, and support for the "peace formula." He stressed:
"Many improvements and solutions are yet to come, and we are working together to ensure they are adopted quickly."
During the conversation, the European diplomat confirmed the full solidarity of the EU with Ukraine.
"The EU has supported Ukraine from day one, and we will continue to do so with one key priority: I call on member states to provide additional military support," Borrell stressed.
For reference:
The procurement plan provided for allocating 1 billion euros for compensation of supplies to member states, another 1 billion for joint procurement of ammunition, and increased production capacity in the EU.
As reported, in September, the European Defense Agency signed eight contracts with industry for the joint purchase of 155-mm ammunition for Ukraine.
It was also reported that the USA is trying to increase the supply of 155-mm ammunition, which is critical for Ukraine. They concluded an agreement on the supply of 155-mm ammunition to Ukraine with Bulgaria and South Korea.
On November 14, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius admitted that the European Union could not provide Ukraine with one million artillery shells by March 2024. This was also reported by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba.
Currently, the European side does not announce how much of this ammunition Ukraine will receive and when.
Also, the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is currently one of the main suppliers of military equipment for Ukraine, which promises to supply the Armed Forces with a large number of various ammunition and armored vehicles this year and the next one.
As Rubryka reported, the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company signed a memorandum with MBDA Deutschland, a German arms manufacturer that deals with missile systems. Cooperation with the world's leading arms companies not only expands Ukraine's existing capabilities on the battlefield but also lays a solid foundation for the further development of the defense industry and promotes its integration into the NATO defense industry.
Moreover, the UK plans to invest about €280 million over the year to purchase and manufacture artillery shells for Ukraine's needs.
