Portugal joins Czech initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine

Portugal will join the Czech initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine from third countries.

The Ministry of Defense of Portugal announced that the country would allocate €100 million for the program, Rubryka reports.

"Portugal supports Ukraine with €100 million for high-caliber artillery ammunition. Along with several European countries, we're joining the Czech procurement initiative," the X post said.

The Portuguese defense department noted that the use of these ammunition on the battlefield has reached an extremely high level, which "makes it vital and urgent for Ukraine to receive additional ammunition to respond to more intense attacks by Russia."

What we know about the Czech initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine

Czech President Petr Pavel announced at the Munich Security Conference on February 17 that his country had identified 500,000 shells of 155 mm caliber and 300,000 shells of 122 mm caliber, which could be delivered within a few weeks if funding were available.

According to Pavel, the Czech Republic could transfer the ammunition within weeks if it secures funding from the United States, Germany, Sweden, and others.

The following countries have joined the Czech initiative:

• Canada will send CAD$30 million (about US$23 million) to purchase ammunition for Ukraine outside NATO;
• The Netherlands allocates over €100 million for this initiative;
• Belgium will give €200 million;
• Lithuania will join the Czech initiative in purchasing and transferring ammunition to Ukraine;
• France is joining the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to seek project funding.
• German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said that Germany would participate in purchasing 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, which the Czech Republic found outside the EU.
• Latvia has decided to join the Czech initiative to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine;
• Warsaw has joined the Czech initiative to purchase hundreds of thousands of artillery shells for Ukraine, but the amount allocated by the Polish government is unknown.

Overall, 15 countries support purchasing ammunition for Ukraine outside Europe.

Czech President Petr Pavel recently stated that the 800,000 artillery shells purchased in third countries worldwide could be delivered to Ukraine within a few weeks.