The Guardian

EU agrees deal to send 1m artillery shells to replenish Ukraine stocks

Jennifer Rankin Brussels

EU ministers have agreed a deal to supply Ukraine with a million rounds of shells to bolster its defences against Russia’s invasion.

“We have reached a political consensus to send Ukraine 1m rounds of 155mm-calibre ammunition,” Estonia’s defence minister, Hanno

Pevkur, said. “Definitely, there are many, many details still to solve, but for me it is most important that we conclude these negotiations and it shows me one thing: if there is a will, there is a way.”

Earlier yesterday, the EU’s most senior diplomat, Josep Borrell, warned that there would be “difficulties” if EU foreign and defence ministers failed to reach a deal to replenish Ukraine’s dwindling stocks.

“I hope that the ministers will, all of them, engage in a final discussion and agree on a very important decision,” he told reporters.

EU foreign and defence ministers are still fine-tuning a €1bn plan for the joint procurement of ammunition by the Brussels-based European Defence Agency. First proposed by Estonia and inspired by the bloc’s joint purchase of Covid vaccines, such an agreement would be a significant moment for the EU, which has limited experience of jointly purchasing military supplies. So far, about 15 countries are expected to take part in the voluntary initiative.

Ministers are also discussing a proposal to reimburse member states that supply Ukraine with ammunition, via the EU’s European Peace Facility (EPF). Since Russia’s invasion last February, the EU has pledged €3.6bn to fund arms and nonlethal aid for Ukraine via the EPF. Under the latest plan, €1bn would be earmarked to fund ammunition for Ukraine.

An EU source said the agreement covered both the €1bn joint procurement plan and €1bn EPF funding for ammunition, although details are still being worked out. “All the options are available,” Pevkur said. “The point is very simple: we need to deliver one million rounds to Ukraine as soon as possible.”

cial said the ammunition question would be central to talks at a summit later this week, at which 27 leaders are expected to hear from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, via video link. According to EU estimates, Russian forces have fired 20,000–50,000 artillery rounds a day in recent months, while Ukraine’s army is limited to about 4,000–7,000 rounds a day.

Borrell said the EU would fund ammunition for western and Soviet-era arms, with 155mm- and 152mm-calibre artillery rounds on the purchase list. Member states would be free to act alone if they did not want to join the common purchasing scheme, he said, adding that the EU’s ammunition supply needed to be “quick, cheap and in the necessary amounts”. He played down concerns the shells would not arrive on time.

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2023-03-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://guardian.pressreader.com/article/281844352876475

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