Zelenskyy Asks EU to Provide €5 Billion for Ammunition
Addressing 27 EU leaders via video link at a summit in Brussels on 20 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for €5 billion to be provided to Kyiv as soon as possible to buy ammunition, Radio Liberty reports.
‘We need funds for artillery shells, and we would really appreciate European support in the amount of at least 5 billion euros as soon as possible,’ Zelenskyy said after a report on the latest Russian shelling.
He also stressed the need to invest in arms production both in Ukraine and in the EU. According to him, Europe must achieve technological independence, especially in the defence industry:
‘Everything needed to defend the continent should be produced here in Europe. We have to work on this together. I am grateful to those who are already taking concrete steps in this direction. It would be right for the ReArm Europe programme to start working as soon as possible, it is a very useful and far-sighted initiative.’
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukrainian technologies in the field of drones and electronic warfare could be useful for both Europe and international partners. He stressed that further development of this industry, in particular through EU investment, ‘is the key to a new foundation for European security’.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas also mentioned the need to raise €5 billion to purchase ammunition for Ukraine before the summit. She recently proposed a new €40 billion defence initiative for Ukraine, but it has not yet received support.
‘If we cannot solve the issue of next year now, let's decide on short-term tasks - Ukraine's immediate needs for ammunition. A realistic plan is to allocate five billion for ammunition, and this is what we are actively working on now,’ Kallas said.
The day before, the European Commission presented the details of a new EU defence initiative called SAFE, which provides for the possibility of obtaining loans worth 150 billion euros for member states. The funding will be used primarily for weapons production in the EU and Ukraine.
As The Gaze previously reported, following the summit in Brussels, the European Council adopted an official statement on the war in Ukraine. In particular, it states that Russia must demonstrate a real desire to end the war it has unleashed against Ukraine. The appeal was supported by 26 EU member states.
The EU expressed its readiness to increase pressure on Russia, in particular through new sanctions and strengthening of enforcement mechanisms.