The European Union’s top diplomat has asked the bloc’s defense ministers to immediately provide Ukraine with ammunition from their existing stockpiles and from orders they have already placed.
(Bloomberg) — The European Union’s top diplomat has asked the bloc’s defense ministers to immediately provide Ukraine with ammunition from their existing stockpiles and from orders they have already placed.
“Our immediate priority remains to deliver to Ukraine. Time is of the essence,” Josep Borrell wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 21, and seen by Bloomberg.
Borrell also confirmed that the EU is working on proposals to jointly procure ammunition, ramp up production capacity and refill stocks. He added that he’ll present the proposals at a meeting of defense ministers in Stockholm on March 7-8.
Support for the joint purchase of ammunition is gaining traction among member states after Estonia put forward a proposal last week suggesting the EU invest about around €4 billion ($4.3 billion) to procure the 1 million rounds of 155mm shells Ukraine needs this year.
Ukraine is currently using on average between 60,000 and as many as 210,000 rounds of ammunition per month, but the European defense industry only has the capacity to produce as many as 25,000 shells in the same time frame, Estonia said in its paper. It added it would currently take as long as four years to meet Kyiv’s needs. Meanwhile, Russia is firing around 20,000-60,000 shells a day.
The Baltic country said the funding to jointly purchase the munitions could be bolted on to the EU’s existing European Peace Facility, currently used to refund nations for their military support to Ukraine.
In his letter, Borrell said the facility remains “the best instrument” to “deliver more and faster, in particular as regards ammunition.” He writes, “for that, we are currently looking into ways to further incentivise such deliveries, e.g. through more attractive reimbursement schemes as a first step.”
He adds: “I call on all of you to speed up the delivery of ammunition that you could provide from your stocks, and which could be reimbursed under the EPF.”
In parallel, the EU is also looking into setting up joint procurement projects, including on ammunition, through the European Defence Agency, Borrell said.
“The future of Ukraine is at stake. We have committed to standing by Ukraine as much as needed,” He concludes: “There is no time to waste”.
–With assistance from Natalia Drozdiak.
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