EU Faces Shortfall in Military Aid to Ukraine
(MENAFN) The European Union is currently 300,000 shells short of fulfilling its two-million shell target for military assistance to Ukraine, according to Kaja Kallas, the bloc's foreign policy chief.
In a statement on Monday, Kallas urged EU member states to continue their military and financial backing for Ukraine, stressing that despite previous commitments, a large quantity of munitions still remains undelivered.
Kallas mentioned that one million shells are "available now" through a separate initiative led by the Czech Republic, which has been developed to address the shortfall in ammunition supplies.
This was in response to concerns about the noticeable reduction in military aid from the EU to Ukraine since the summer months.
The Czech Ammunition Initiative, which was launched in 2024, was intended to fund the purchase of large-caliber rounds for Ukraine. However, it has faced criticism.
An investigation conducted by a US state-funded broadcaster and other media outlets uncovered that Czech companies involved in the procurement charged commission fees that were up to four times higher than those set by Ukrainian state agencies.
Furthermore, some of the shipments have been delayed, potentially impacting Ukraine’s defense planning, while others have allegedly included munitions of subpar quality.
Kallas pointed out that "a redistribution of funds or other measures" will be necessary to bridge the remaining gap in ammunition supplies.
The two-million shell pledge was part of a broader initiative announced by Kallas in March, which initially aimed to provide €40 billion ($47 billion) in military support to Ukraine.
However, this amount was later reduced to €5 billion due to opposition from various member states, although the delivery of ammunition remained a key component of the final plan.
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