The European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has called on member countries to increase their ammunition orders for Ukraine. This comes as data shows that the bloc is far from meeting its target of providing Kyiv with one million artillery shells within 12 months, by March. Borrell stated that framework contracts have already been signed with arms firms, allowing EU member countries to jointly order 155-millimeter rounds, which are urgently needed by Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
“Now it’s up to the member states to pass concrete orders inside these framework agreements with the industry,” Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU defense ministers in Toledo, Spain.
In March, EU countries agreed on a plan worth approximately 2 billion euros ($2.18 billion) to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells or missiles within 12 months. The first element of this plan involved countries using their reserves or purchasing stock from other sources. Borrell revealed that this element has resulted in around 224,000 ammunition rounds and 2,300 missiles, worth a total of about 1.1 billion euros.
Therefore, the EU has not yet reached even a quarter of its target, more than five months since the initiative was launched. The remaining shells are meant to be procured through a joint procurement scheme, encouraging EU member countries to place orders for Ukraine and replenish their own stocks, which have been depleted due to donations to Kyiv.
However, with no orders announced under the scheme thus far, some EU members are suggesting exploring alternative options. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, “We have to ask ourselves… can we do more? And my answer here is clearly that yes, we can.” He proposed revisiting the strategy of utilizing members’ stockpiles, purchasing from non-EU countries, and supporting a proposal from Slovakia to refurbish old rounds.
The conflict in Ukraine has intensified into a high-stakes battle with both sides launching thousands of artillery shells every day. As a result, these shells have become a crucial element on the battlefield and are currently in limited supply across the Western countries. Pevkur, who supports Ukraine, remarked that Ukrainian forces often fire 6,000 to 7,000 shells daily, while Russia fires up to ten times that amount.
Slovakian Defense Minister Martin Sklenar disclosed that a company in his country is already refurbishing outdated artillery rounds, which would otherwise be considered unusable. He proposed expanding this scheme to involve other firms and countries, stating, “We have a small company, we can refurbish 12,000 ammunition pieces in a month, which could be likely enhanced with other companies joining in.” Sklenar emphasized the speed at which these companies can perform the refurbishments.
With only six months remaining to achieve the EU’s target, Sklenar emphasized the importance of maximizing refurbishment capacity. He stated, “We want to make sure that we utilize the fullest capacity available (to refurbish shells).” This mission may involve exploring various avenues including stockpiles, non-EU purchases, and refurbishment initiatives. ($1 = 0.9156 euros) (Reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
