EU ministers braced for Ukrainian frustration over ammunition plan

Luxembourg: On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will have the opportunity to express his anger with the delays in the EU’s proposal to purchase weaponry to support Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion to the foreign ministers of the EU.

A breakthrough agreement for EU nations to collectively purchase artillery rounds for Ukraine has not yet been put into effect owing to differences over how much of the business must remain in Europe, Kuleba said in a tweet last week.

“The inability of the EU to implement its own decision on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine is frustrating,” Kuleba said on Thursday.

“For Ukraine, the cost of inaction is measured in human lives,” he warned.

When Kuleba speaks on the state of the war and Ukraine’s requirements via video link to a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers taking place in Luxembourg, he may make his case in person. He is expected to do so, according to EU diplomats.

As Ukrainian and Russian forces engage in a fierce battle of attrition, artillery rounds, in particular 155mm shells, have become crucial to the struggle. According to officials, Kyiv is presently using more rounds than its friends can supply.

The joint purchase plan is a component of a multi-track EU agreement that was adopted by foreign ministers last month and aims to increase European weapons manufacturing and deliver 1 million artillery rounds or missiles to Ukraine within a year.

The first element is the most immediate. It sets aside 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to reimburse EU governments for sending munitions to Ukraine from existing stocks.

EU officials pushed back against Kuleba’s criticism by stressing that this fast track is up and running so ammunition is already flowing to Kyiv.

But the second track, worth another 1 billion euros to fund joint procurement, has yet to be finalised.

EU countries agreed to buy the munitions from firms from the EU and from Norway, which has close economic ties to the bloc.

But diplomats say France – a champion of a stronger EU defence sector, with a substantial arms industry of its own – has insisted production itself should take place in Europe.

That stance has frustrated other EU members, including Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. They have expressed scepticism that European industry has the capacity to produce enough shells quickly.

EU officials and diplomats said they expected an agreement that would satisfy all sides in the coming days. But some had previously suggested a deal would come last week, after the Easter holidays, only to see those hopes dashed.

“We should not lose sight of what our goal is here and that is helping Ukraine,” said an EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

($1 = 0.9100 euros)

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