European Commissioner: EU will speed up arms deliveries to Ukraine

The European Union is speeding up arms shipments to Ukraine to support a counteroffensive against Russian forces.

This was stated by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien, writes Reuters.

We are going to step up our efforts to deliver arms and ammunition-- this is a war of high intensity in which they play a crucial role," Breton said, commenting on a pledge to deliver one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine over the next 12 months.

He added that Europe is preparing for the fact that the war will continue for several more months or even longer.

• On May 5 , the Council of the EU approved the allocation of one billion euros in aid for the purchase of 155-mm ammunition and, if necessary, missiles for Ukraine.
• The German defense concern Rheinmetall announced its ability to produce up to 600,000 artillery ammunition per year for further deliveries to Ukraine.