EU Acknowledges Months of Delay for Ukraine Ammunition Pledge
- Bloc to meet only 52% of objective for March 2024 delivery
- Borrell says EU will exceed artillery goal by year-end
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The European Union acknowledged it was forced to delay by several months its ambitious target of sending 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine by March, denting Kyiv’s ammunition capability in the short term.
Just 524,000 shells will be delivered to Ukraine by the original date, though the bloc expects to send 1.1 million by the end of the year, the EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told reporters Wednesday. That’s despite a boost to Europe’s capacity, which is able to produce 1 million ammunition rounds this year, two months ahead of schedule, and 2 million in 2025.