France is the only European Union (EU) country blocking the allocation of EU funds for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine, according to the Polish Press Agency (Polska Agencja Prasowa, PAP). They want to spend €2 billion to finance this project. Half of the amount should have been sent to the EU countries to reimburse the supply of APU. However, there are not enough shells in European warehouses, so in the EU it became necessary to buy them in other countries.
According to the agency, France opposed such a scheme. “In this situation, the solution would be to purchase ammunition in a third country, and then replace them from the compositions of one of the member countries, transferring other weapons to the third country. Negotiations are underway on this matter,” a source in the EU told the agency.
The second billion of the specified amount should have been allocated for orders for the production of ammunition in the EU countries. PAP names Germany, Poland and France as the largest producers. However, Paris did not support this decision either. “The draft contained a provision that the reimbursement of ammunition should be made only on the basis of the requirements of Ukraine. Paris, however, wants, without explaining the reasons, to exclude this provision … France also wants to add the possibility of reimbursement for the supply of missiles, ”says the agency’s interlocutor.
According to some European diplomats, lobbying by arms companies might be behind France’s decision. One of the unnamed diplomats told the agency that “we are talking regarding creating a mechanism for forcing the order of specific equipment, which may not actually be needed by the Ukrainian side.” Poland insists that it is necessary to ensure the fastest possible delivery of ammunition to Ukraine.
In February, Estonia offered the EU to invest regarding $4.3 billion in a joint purchase of 1 million ammunition for Ukraine. According to their calculations, Kyiv uses an average of 60,000 to 210,000 ammunition per month. Hungary does not want to participate in the purchase. According to Politico, the EU cannot yet decide where to buy the shells. Nevertheless, at the end of March, the foreign ministers and defense ministers of European countries agreed on a supply scheme. Poland also plans to increase the production of ammunition for Ukraine.
Read regarding what happens following the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine in the online broadcast of Kommersant.