Czech Republic suggests EU to look for suppliers of shells for Ukraine outside EU - Politico
According to Censor.NET, European Truth reports with reference to Politico
Initially, the EU promised to supply 1 million shells by March, and France led calls for Europe to build up its own industrial capacity to deliver ammunition to Kyiv. However, the EU now says that Ukraine will receive 524,000 shells by March, and only 1.1 million shells have been promised by the end of the year.
Frustrated by this shortfall, Prague is pushing EU countries to finance the purchase of what it estimates to be 450,000 artillery shells available outside the EU, four diplomats and a person familiar with the negotiations told Politico.
When the EU outlined its military aid commitments in early 2023, France, the community's defense industry leader, insisted that subsidies be directed only to local production and not outsourced.
But the Czech Republic's call raises the possibility that Europe will instead turn to arms companies in South Korea, Turkey, and South Africa. EU Chief Diplomat Josep Borrell emphasized that Korea, a major arms producer, could be used to obtain additional shells.
One diplomat said the 450,000 figure was voiced during an informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told his counterparts during a summit of EU leaders on Thursday that the missiles could be sourced from outside the EU to help the EU fulfill its pledge, according to another official briefed on the talks.
In early January, the European Commission expressed confidence that the EU would be able to produce one million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine by this spring, despite the fact that the process has stalled.
In early December, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reiterated his previous statement that the EU would not be able to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by spring 2024, but promised that the situation would improve.
