The countries of the European Union were unable to agree on a proposal for joint purchases of ammunition for Ukraine.
This was announced by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a press conference following the EU summit.
Late last night, we discussed the supply of ammunition, which Ukraine really needs now. There was no positive reaction to our proposal from some countries,” he said, without specifying which countries he was talking about.
According to Morawiecki, joint purchases, joint orders would be in favor of all EU countries, NATO and Ukraine.
But, just as the discussion about tanks seemed completely impossible at the beginning, as the discussion about the Petriots was pushed aside, I think that we will soon return to the topic of ammunition at the next EU summit,” the Polish prime minister expressed hope.
A similar idea has been discussed since last fall. Back in November, European Parliament President Josep Borrell pushed for a joint arms and ammunition procurement mechanism similar to that used to procure vaccines during the flood pandemic.
Meanwhile, the EU is preparing the 10th package of sanctions against Russia. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on February 9 called for expanding them.
Ukraine insists that the following should fall under the new restrictions:
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the nuclear industry of the aggressor country;
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the entire rocket and drone industry;
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relevant part of the IT sector.
Russia has created the threat of a radiation catastrophe in Europe, and the Russian nuclear industry is still free from global sanctions. There are steps yet to be taken. Russian missile terror will be a threat until the source of such a threat is destroyed, Zelensky said after the summit.
In turn, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, noted that the EU considers it legal to use frozen Russian assets to restore Ukraine.
The participants of the EU summit also agreed on the following issues:
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the need to increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor;
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the need to provide Ukraine with maximum military support, because the coming weeks of the war will be decisive.
The new package must be accepted by February 24, the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda noted that such a step is “politically important.”
Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, after the EU summit, published seven of the most interesting quotes heard during negotiations with European leaders on the sidelines of the meeting. He assures that Ukraine will certainly achieve the supply of all necessary weapons and resolve technical issues.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.