European leaders hope to provide Ukraine with 500,000 artillery rounds by the end of 2024
By the end of 2024, the European allies plan to transfer to Ukraine 500,000 artillery shells purchased under the Czech initiative, reads the joint statement of the leaders of the European Union, Radio Free Europe reports.
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala said on Tuesday that Kyiv can expect the first batch of 155-mm artillery shells "in the next few days." 15 EU and NATO countries have already contributed over 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 billion) to the initiative to purchase artillery shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he said.
After the meeting in Prague, European leaders said that with current funding, they "expect to ensure the donation of half a million rounds of artillery ammunition before the end of the year."
Polish President Andrzej Duda, in turn, promised to facilitate the transportation of artillery rounds and called the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian front difficult. According to him, Russia has the initiative in the war and is preparing another major offensive, and artillery will play a key role in the defense of the Ukrainian military.
Canada, Finland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania and other countries joined the Czech initiative to purchase artillery shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
On March 21, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski, said that the country would help organize the transportation to Ukraine of artillery shells purchased as part of the Czech initiative.
