Regarding the acute shortage of ammunition in the Ukrainian army, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, called for a ban on the export of ammunition from European countries to countries other than Ukraine.
Kuleba called on Europe to transfer all shells to Ukraine
All contracts for the export of ammunition produced in Europe to third countries should be suspended, and all such ammunition should be supplied to Ukraine, Kuleba said.
Dmytro Kuleba
Ukraine's MFA chief
According to him, "every bullet manufactured in Europe" should serve to protect European countries.
He also criticised the Western allies for their lack of ammunition. The minister noted that he complains about the laammonition at every meeting with partners.
They have decided too late to increase their production, sign long-term contracts and put new production lines into operation. Unfortunately, we are paying the price for these mistakes not down the line, but right now, Kuleba said.
The MFA chief announced that the ammunition purchased by European states in third countries will become available to Ukraine.
What is known about shells in Ukraine?
At the end of January 2024, Bloomberg wrote that the European Union could not provide the promised million shells to Ukraine by the previously agreed deadline of March 1, 2024.
At this time, the EU countries will have only 600,000 rounds. According to the European Commissioner for Finance, Johannes Hahn, the EU will be able to produce up to two million artillery shells for Ukraine annually from 2025.
In March 2023, the EU MOD and MFA ministers agreed on a plan for joint ammunition procurement.
It envisages providing Ukraine with one million shells over the next 12 months. In particular, it was about seven countries. But already in November, the EU informed its members that it is unlikely to be able to transfer the promised one million artillery rounds to Ukraine. This plan should be completed by March 2024.
At the same time, at the end of November, the European Commissioner for the EU internal market, Thierry Breton, citing statistical data, stated that by the spring of 2024, the production potential of defense enterprises in the EU will amount to more than a million artillery shells. But the transfer of ammunition to Ukraine requires an appropriate solution, which does not exist yet.
On February 23, the Office of the President of Ukraine announced that funding for the supply of shells, which Petr Pavel spoke about, would be found.
On February 24, Kuleba announced that the European Union plans to deliver almost 170,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine by the end of March and is working on further increasing the volume of supplies.
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