(Dan Tri) – The European Union (EU) may not be able to keep its promise to provide 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine on time, a development that could be detrimental to Kiev in the near future.
Ukrainian forces launched rockets to attack Russian targets in Donbass (Photo: Getty).
Bloomberg, citing knowledgeable sources, said that the EU seems to be falling behind on its plan to provide Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells by March 2024.
Previously, the EU announced a plan to provide Ukraine with the above ammunition for 12 months.
However, the source said that the EU plan has only achieved 30% progress so far.
Western officials appear to be concerned that Russia’s increased production of artillery shells will make Ukraine’s counteroffensive efforts even more challenging.
According to Bloomberg, several EU member states appear to have asked the union’s foreign policy department to extend the deadlines for the contracts.
The United States, which is looking to increase its output to about 1 million projectiles per year by 2024, has called on the EU to step up production efforts, sources said.
With Ukraine’s counteroffensive making only limited progress and its allies preparing for a protracted conflict, the ammunition supplies promised by the EU are vital to helping Ukraine keep up with production.
Some estimates suggest Russian factories will deliver 2 million artillery shells next year, while the West suspects Moscow will receive North Korean supplies.
Some EU member states have not published specific data on the weapons they have supplied or the contracts they have signed.
About 10 countries, including the Baltic states, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland, have supplied or are planning to supply between 300,000 and 400,000 rounds of ammunition, mainly under the EU initiative.
Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway have ordered contract contractors worth 52 million euros and production will start next year.
One source said ammunition prices have increased since the initiative was launched, meaning the current budget may not be enough to meet the target.
Meanwhile, NATO is pushing its member states to move away from protectionism with the defense industry and agree on a single standard for artillery shells to increase production.
According to expert Stephen Bryen at the Center for Security Policy and Yorktown Institute (USA), the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows that the West’s defense production capacity is not prepared for a major war.
The US and its allies have poured a series of weapons and ammunition into Ukraine over the past 20 months and many countries have faced ammunition depletion.
However, the West’s offset production capacity is still a big question mark.
