According to Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu, the Ukrainian armed forces urgently need new ammunition to defend themselves against Russia. "Ukraine is running out of bullets," said Reinsalu on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Estonia has been promoting a European procurement program for some time.
According to the Foreign Minister, this involves artillery ammunition with a caliber of 155 millimeters. The aim is to initially deliver one million artillery shells. Reinsalu put the costs at four billion euros.
"Today we have the situation that Russia uses as many projectiles in one day as the EU produces in one month," added the minister. The current production capacities of the European armaments industry are "absolutely unacceptable". EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said everything would be done to provide sufficient ammunition. For example, money from the so-called European Peace Facility can be used for a joint purchase.
This is a financing instrument through which the EU already supplies arms and equipment and supports the training of the Ukrainian armed forces. So far, 3.6 billion euros have been released. According to Borrell, Russia is currently firing around 50,000 artillery shells a day in the war against Ukraine. "Ukraine must have the same ability," he said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba is missing
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba surprisingly stayed away from the meeting. "Mr. Kuleba has other obligations," said Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, without giving details. Kuleba himself also did not comment on the reasons. However, he confirmed via the short message service Twitter that he could not be there in person. There was speculation in Brussels that the cancellation was linked to US President Joe Biden's trip to Kiev.
Asseblorn warns China against arms shipments
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn warned before the meeting that Chinese arms deliveries to Russia would escalate the Ukraine war. "That would be a turning point - and not for the better," Asselborn said on Deutschlandfunk.
If China actually delivers weapons to Russia, this must have consequences for dealings with the People's Republic. "I hope it doesn't come to that," said Asselborn. "But disguised arms deliveries would also have consequences."
The United States had previously expressed concern about possible deliveries. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken told CBS on Sunday that China was "considering providing lethal support" to Russia. When asked what he meant by that, Blinken replied: "Weapons, primarily weapons."
