The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, reported, on Wednesday 8 March, a “general agreement” by Member States on his proposal to provide, as quickly and as much as possible, the ammunition that Ukraine badly needs to resist the Russian onslaught in the Donbass.
“We are in war times” and we have to have a war mentality, said Mr Borrell at the end of the informal meeting of European defence ministers attended by their Ukrainian counterpart. “For Ukraine to win the peace, Ukraine has to win the war”, he added.
The High Representative set out the three complementary strands of the proposal to Member States: - deliver ammunition (155 and 152 mm calibres) to the Ukrainian army, either from existing national stocks or on the basis of orders already placed with industry, with €1 billion in support from the ‘European Peace Facility’ (EPF); - through the European Defence Agency (EDA), to place bulk orders for 155 mm ammunition to replenish national stocks and increase deliveries to Ukraine, an initiative that would reduce costs and lead times and would also be supported by €1 billion from the EPF; - increase the industry’s production capacity so that supply can keep pace with demand.
Mr Borrell acknowledged that the proposal, which would double the supply of ammunition to Ukraine compared to what the EU already does, still needed to be discussed in detail. In his view, Member States will not embark on the path identified if they are not certain of refilling their stocks. In order to increase their capacities, the fifteen European companies need a clear signal, which the second line of work would provide, on the level of demand.
Asked about the need to go outside the EU to buy munitions, Mr Borrell noted that several member states insist that European financial aid should be used to create jobs in the EU. But in the case of deliveries from existing stocks, “I am not going to ask the Member State concerned where its ammunition comes from!”, he emphasised.
The High Representative said he was confident that a positive decision would be taken at the joint meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers on Monday 20 March in Brussels.
On behalf of the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, Pål Jonson welcomed the joint proposal from Mr Borrell’s services and from Estonia. “Speed is of the essence”, he stressed. He praised the “coordinating” role that the EDA could play in the joint procurement of contracts.
The High Representative also said that the EU’s military assistance mission to Ukraine, EUMAM Ukraine, had trained 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers so far, with the aim of training 30,000 by the end of 2023, including in the handling of tanks. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)