EU able to deliver million artillery rounds to Ukraine by year-end - Estonia’s envoy to NATO

05.02.2024 21:37

Ukrinform

Estonia's Permanent Representative to NATO Jüri Luik believes the European Union will not be able to provide Ukraine with a million rounds of ammunition by March, but these deliveries could be completed by the end of this year.

That’s according to ERR, Ukrinform reports.

"In the USA, it's a national effort, the American military, so they have all kinds of tools to get it up and running quickly that come from national capabilities. But in Europe, we have to get it going with market methods, and there is a lot of work going on. And while we didn't manage to deliver those million shells by March, hopefully we will by the end of the year, as the European Union promised," said Luik.

He also explained the scheme European countries employ by donating rounds to Ukraine without reducing their own defense potential. "In the USA, it's a national effort, the American military, so they have all kinds of tools to get it up and running quickly that come from national capabilities. But in Europe, we have to get it going with market methods, and there is a lot of work going on. And while we didn't manage to deliver those million shells by March, hopefully we will by the end of the year, as the European Union promised," said Luik.

He assured that NATO countries will retain their personal stocks after a certain number of rounds is sent to Ukraine.

"Under no circumstances will your stocks be left empty. In NATO, certain standards are necessary to implement defense plans. In any case, NATO countries have to keep this stock in their warehouses, it cannot be given away. [National warehouses] are just missing the part that can be given away to Ukraine and that now has to be produced and sent there," he said.

According to him, before Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, very few shells were produced by Western democracies.

"For example, the United States produced 30,000 projectiles per month. But next year Ukraine will need two million projectiles. So these scales are totally inappropriate for the current challenge," he said.

As reported last week, the Czech Republic believes that since Europe is not delivering on its promise to send 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine by March, it is necessary to look for supplies beyond the EU.