EU has achieved its goal of supplying 2 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, - Kallas
The EU's goal of supplying two million large-caliber munitions to Ukraine in 2025 was achieved on time.
As reported by Censor.NET with a link to Euractiv, this was announced by EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas ahead of Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers.
2 million rounds of ammunition supplied
"We have achieved the initiative's goal of 2 million rounds of ammunition. This is necessary for Ukraine to be able to defend itself," Callas said.
It is noted that after the EU countries sent more than 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by November 2024, Callas presented an initiative to double supplies in 2025.
This year, Callas plans to spend €5 billion on two million large-caliber artillery ammunition by 2026. This is part of a €40 billion proposal put forward in March to support Kyiv.
However, the initiative has been at a standstill since June, when the EU's chief diplomat first announced that 80% of the commitments had been fulfilled. In September, Callas promised to achieve this goal by October.
Czech initiative
At the same time, last year the Czech Republic launched a campaign called the "Czech Initiative" to send Ukraine scarce 155 mm shells and other NATO-standard ammunition. Prague coordinated purchases with more than 16 countries. However, this initiative is now expected to be wound down.
Decreased support for Ukraine
At the same time, it is noted that amid declining support from the US, two initiatives to supply ammunition proved insufficient to fill the gap.
In addition, since the beginning of summer, European military aid to Kyiv has more than halved, amounting to €4.24 billion in September-October, significantly less than the €9.8 billion provided by Europeans in May-June.
Since the summer, the EU has been seeking to purchase $500 million (approximately €429 million) worth of American weapons for Ukraine through NATO's PURL instrument. However, heavyweights such as France and Italy have not made any contributions through this mechanism.
What preceded it?
- The European Union and its member states expect to increase artillery ammunition supplies to Ukraine this year, reaching a total of 2 million rounds.
- As part of the European Union's initiative to supply Ukraine with two million rounds of ammunition in 2025, commitments for 80% of the planned volume have already been declared.
- The European Union plans to fulfill its promise to provide Ukraine with 2 million artillery shells by October.
