European Union (EU) ministers have agreed on a two-billion-euro ($2.14bn) plan to raid their own arsenals and jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine.
EU defence and foreign ministers backed an initiative aimed at providing Ukraine with one million artillery shells in the next 12 months as well as replenishing EU stocks during a meeting held in Brussels on Monday.
As he chaired the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell took to Twitter to hail what he described as “a historic decision” for the 27-nation bloc and Norway.
“We are taking a key step towards delivering on our promises to provide Ukraine with more artillery ammunition,” he said, noting that 18 countries had signed up to a European Defence Agency (EDA) project to place joint orders for ammunition with the defence industry.
Borrell said that he had won approval for his proposal to provide one billion euros ($1.1 billion) to encourage member nations to provide artillery shells from their stocks and any orders for new rounds that they might have placed with industry.
A further one billion euros would also be used to fast-track new orders and encourage countries to work together on those purchases through the EDA or in groups of at least three nations. Germany has already called for countries to join its own effort, which Berlin believes will go faster.
The third track of the programme involves support to Europe’s defence industry so that it can ramp up production in the longer term. EU officials have said that new joint orders could be placed by May if the plan is endorsed in its entirety.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted his gratitude to Borrell and the bloc “for this game-changing decision. Exactly what is needed: urgent delivery + sustainable joint procurement.” (AlJazeera)
