The European Union has informed its member states that the bloc is unlikely to fulfill its obligation to provide Ukraine with one million artillery pieces of ammunition by March 2024.
This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to people familiar with the matter.
According to the plans, the EU undertook to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition within a year. First from the stocks it has, and then with the help of joint procurement contracts and increased industrial capacity.
More than half of the stated deadline has already passed, and the initiative has so far achieved only about 30% of the stated goal. And judging by the volume of signed contracts, there is a risk of not achieving it.
- On March 20, EU member states agreed to purchase one million 155 mm ammunition for Ukraine over the next 12 months. On May 5, the Verkhovna Rada 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.
- On September 6, the European Defense Agency (EDA) signed the first eight contracts with manufacturers for the joint purchase of 155-mm ammunition. They concern ammunition for the most common self-propelled howitzers, which the EU member states transferred to Ukraine: the French Caesar, the Polish Krab, the German Panzerhaubitze 2000 and the Slovak Zuzana.