Speaking at a press conference following a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, Borrell highlighted the strategic significance of the coming days, weeks, and months in the war in Ukraine. The EU remains committed to its target of providing 1 million pieces of ammunition within a year, despite reservations from some member states regarding the feasibility of the goal.
The EU’s ammunition scheme, valued at a minimum of 2 billion euros, consists of three interconnected elements supported by financial incentives. The first element encourages EU members to contribute ammunition from their stockpiles, while the second incentivizes joint procurement contracts. The third element focuses on aiding arms manufacturers in increasing their production capacities.
This initiative marks the EU’s first large-scale joint procurement of munitions, demonstrating its heightened engagement in military affairs since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine in February 2022.
The recently supplied 220,000 artillery shells were part of the first phase of the program, with the first joint procurement contracts expected to be signed in the summer. The scheme has already made significant progress in supporting Ukraine’s urgent need for ammunition as the conflict intensifies, with thousands of shells being fired daily.
