Prague plans to deliver first batch of Czech ammo purchase initiative to Ukraine in upcoming weeks

In a few weeks, the first ammunition deliveries to Ukraine may occur within the framework of the Czech initiative to purchase 800,000 shells from outside the European Union for Ukraine's armed forces.

Deputy Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Jan Jires said this in an interview with Bloomberg.

As the representative of the Czech Ministry of Defense reported, several European countries have already joined their initiative. The official declined to say which countries are financing the purchases or whose supplies are being used. However, he suggested that this information would most likely be disclosed after the delivery of the shells.

In addition, as the representative of the Czech defense department reported, the first deliveries to Ukraine within the initiative's framework, where the Czech Republic acts as an intermediary for governments wishing to finance the purchase of 155-mm projectiles in third countries, may arrive in a few weeks.

"The initiative of the Czech Republic is one of the ways to "demonstrate that we are really doing something and not waiting to see what happens at the Capitol," added the deputy head of the Czech Defense Ministry, hinting at the blocking of additional aid to Ukraine in the US Congress.

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On February 17, at the Munich Security Conference, Czech President Petr Pavel said that his country had found 500,000 155 mm and 300,000 122 mm rounds that could be delivered within weeks if the money was available.

According to Pavel, the Czech Republic could transfer the projectiles in a matter of weeks if it gets funding from the USA, Germany, Sweden, and others.

It is known that the following joined the initiative of the Czech Republic:

• Canada, which will allocate 30 million Canadian dollars (about 23 million US dollars) for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine outside NATO;
• The Netherlands allocates more than 100 million euros to this initiative;
• Belgium, which will give 200 million euros for the initiative of the Czech Republic;
• Lithuania will join the Czech initiative to purchase and transfer ammunition to Ukraine.
• In total, 15 countries support the procurement of ammunition for Ukraine outside of Europe.

It is worth adding that during the past months, the European Union has significantly increased the production of ammunition and will bring this capacity to 1 million ammunition per year in March of this year and to 2 million in 2025.