Brussels on Wednesday demanded EU defense ministers lay out a detailed picture of the military support they're giving to Ukraine as Kyiv's forces struggle to stave off superior Russian firepower.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ministers meeting in Brussels were being asked "to present exactly what they have done, what they are doing, what they plan to do" in order to arm Ukraine.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
"The purpose of the meeting is precisely that -- to have a clear understanding of the situation and the commitments," Borrell told journalists.
"The Ukrainians need more ammunition. There is a big imbalance on the fire capacity from one side on the other."
European allies have been one of the biggest sources of weaponry for Ukraine since Moscow launched its all-out invasion in February 2022.
But the 27-nation bloc is set to fall far short of a collective vow made last March to provide Kyiv with one million artillery shells within a year.
With a month to go before the deadline, EU figures show it has so far provided well under half of the shells pledged.
Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said he wanted a consensus that the EU could at least reach the million rounds promised "or even more" by the end of this year.
The discussion over EU military support for Ukraine will roll over into a summit of European leaders on Thursday, dominated mainly by Hungary blocking 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in budget support for Kyiv.
ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November, 4, 2024
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz -- whose country is the largest European donor to Ukraine -- has called for others to lay out their military support and do more to help Kyiv.
Accusations have been levelled that key EU economies such as France, Italy and Spain are not pulling their weight on arming Ukraine.
Dutch defense minister Kajsa Ollongren said the aim on Wednesday was to look at whether all countries were doing their "full share".
"Some are doing more. Some are doing more but not doing it openly," she said.
The EU is currently debating an overhaul to a central fund that has been used to cover the cost of weapons for Kyiv.
Borrell's diplomatic service is pushing for an extra five billion euros for the fund but Germany has been arguing contributions should be offset against bilateral aid.
The push to get EU states to do more comes as future military support from Ukraine's key backer the United States hangs in the balance.
The looming specter of a potential return of former president Donald Trump to the White House at November elections has heightened calls for Europe to stand stronger.
The EU has launched a major drive to bolster its defense industry to make it fit-for-purpose in the face of Russia's aggression.
But arms producers are still struggling to ramp up capacity fast enough and say governments need to commit to long-term contracts.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
