(Brussels) The European Union on Wednesday asked the 27 for a detailed inventory of their military support for Ukraine, to try to strengthen it at a time when Kyiv is running out of ammunition against the Russian army.
“It is important to clarify the situation and know where we are and where we will be by March and by the end of the year,” explained the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on the occasion of a meeting of EU defense ministers.
The Europeans committed last year to supplying one million shells to Ukraine by the end of March, but this objective will not be achieved by this deadline, several ministers recognized.
This “will take a little more time,” said Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren.
The Europeans have already delivered some 300,000 shells, and by the end of 2024 they will have an annual production capacity of some 1.4 million shells, assures the European Commissioner responsible for the defense industry, Thierry Breton. This capacity will be increased to two million in 2025, he added.
But a large part is exported to third countries, to the detriment of Ukraine at war, a senior European official admitted this week on condition of anonymity.
Asked about possible means of forcing European industry to deliver more weapons to Ukraine, Mr. Breton indicated that this idea aimed at “prioritizing” in the defense industry in Europe, to the benefit of Kyiv , had been suggested, but ultimately not taken up by the 27.
On Wednesday, the leaders of Germany Olaf Scholz, Dutch Mark Rutte, Estonian Kaja Kallas, Czech Petr Fiala and Danish Mette Frederiksen called on Europeans to “redouble their efforts” to ensure that military support for Ukraine lasts “as long as necessary “.
“We must therefore find ways to accelerate the delivery of artillery ammunition promised to Ukraine,” they wrote in a joint letter published by the Financial Times daily.
The head of European diplomacy put on the discussion table a proposal to reform the European Peace Facility, an instrument used by Europeans to jointly help Ukraine, in order to strengthen these orders to industry.
The idea is to move from “current destocking to grouped orders”, explained the senior European official. And the European Defense Agency (EDA) is a “good way to increase production,” he assured.
This has a budget of some 1.5 billion euros to finance group orders to European industry.
Ministers will also discuss an increase in the budget for military aid to Ukraine. Mr Borrell proposed an additional envelope of five billion euros.
EU heads of state or government are due to discuss it on Thursday at an extraordinary summit, but no agreement is expected this week, according to several European diplomats.