Ukraine delayed the counteroffensive due to a lack of material to ensure its success. Therefore, Volodymyr Zelensky’s appeals have been almost desperate lately. The European Union has launched a mechanism to ensure all the necessary ammunition in the shortest possible time, and this Tuesday the high representative, Josep Borrell, himself congratulated the figures: 220,000 artillery ammunition and 1,300 rockets have already been sent from member states to Kiev. This figure represents almost a quarter of the amount planned for the next twelve months and is estimated at around 800 million euros of the 1,000 that Brussels has planned for this first tranche, which will be paid in part through the European Peace Fund (EPF). which the European Union uses to finance armaments.
This first lane, which ends on May 31, serves to supply Ukraine with ammunition from the arsenals that member states already had. Until now there had been some concern about a slowdown in supply, but Borrell justified that “there has been a significant jump” in recent days. “These issues are not linear. The most important part always comes at the last minute. It is not surprising that more material is arriving at the end of the deadline,” explained the head of European diplomacy, who is confident that more weapons will arrive before the end of the month. Of this initial €1,000 million, the EU has launched a joint ammunition procurement program for member states to replenish their stockpiles, and another €1,000 million has been earmarked for Ukraine in the medium term. In addition, Brussels intends to provide 500 million in aid to the arms industry to speed up production in the coming months.
“The coming days, weeks and months will be strategically decisive for the war in Ukraine,” Borrell said at a news conference after a meeting with EU defense ministers, where he used the opportunity to release data on military aid. What the European Union has given so far. The 800 million shells that were in stock are in addition to the 3,600 million euros transferred through the EPF, which is meant to offset part of the total cost, for which the High Representative estimates the amount to be 10,000 million euros. .
He also called the training mission of Ukrainian soldiers an “extraordinary success”, which has already reached 20,000 soldiers and aims to reach 30,000 by the end of the year. In total, he claims, total EU aid to Ukraine has exceeded 65 billion euros. Borrell is confident that this week the 500 million EPF, which Hungary vetoed because of its main bank’s inclusion on the Kremlin’s “blacklist” of sponsors drawn up by Kiev, will be published and that negotiations will begin in the coming days to raise the ceiling. from the fund that should have already increased. Now the intention is to raise 3500 million (of which 1000 for Ukraine and 2500 for other conflicts).
“Ukraine is fighting. It has ensured that Putin’s plans for a quick victory are gone, and that is why aid to Ukraine must continue,” argued Borrell, who made sure it was provided with “the necessary means to defend and in the necessary quantities.” “Doing it in small doses only serves to prolong the war.” “Ukraine needs decisive support and the ministers are determined to give it,” he said.
Source: El Diario
