EPF pays $475mln to EU states for cost of Ukraine ammunition supplies

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
8 Mar 21:19

The EPF compensation falls short of the sums expected.

Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks during a UN Security Council meeting, Thursday, February 23, 2023 (AP)

EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell announced, on Wednesday, that the European Peace Facility (EPF) paid $475 million in reimbursement to EU member states for supplying Ukraine with ammunition and said that supplies to Kiev will continue.

Following the informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Stockholm, Borrell stated, "[The] European Peace Facility has reimbursed to [EU] member states about 450 million euros for ammunition provided to Ukraine."

Borrell said there were tens of thousands of artillery shells required on a daily basis and that the situation in Ukraine had evolved into "a position war" where the battles are "consuming" in terms of artillery shells needed and used.

Moreover, the chief expressed confidence that the EU should expedite supplies to Kiev.

"Every day there is ammunition coming from European Union member states arriving to Ukraine. Every day. There is a flow going on. The issue is it has to be increased. More and quicker," he said.

EU looks to send €1B for shells to Ukraine

The European Union proposed, on March 2, that €1 billion worth of aid should be dedicated to ammunition for Ukraine, particularly 155mm artillery shells, according to Politico, citing documents.

The documents show that the EU has been supplying Ukraine with arms through an off-budget, inter-government cash pot called the European Peace Facility, which aims to "repay" countries that sent arms to Ukraine. It has so far paid Ukraine €3.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with member states deciding to increase its funding by €2 billion in 2023.

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell intends to propose an “extraordinary support package” of €1 billion focused on the delivery of ammunition, according to the EU document, drafted by the bloc’s diplomatic service, the European Commission and the European Defence Agency.

The documents suggest that €1 billion should be focused on ammunition, notably 155mm, as soon as the €2 billion top-up of the European Peace Facility is “operationalized". According to an EU official, this means that half of the year's top-up should be for ammunition, mainly shells.

Europe wants to ensure its funds are specifically channeled to the artillery rounds to ensure that Ukraine can face Russia.

On March 4, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov wrote a letter appealing to the EU to send Ukraine 250,000 artillery shells a month, the Financial Times reported.

Reznikov's letter, sent to his counterparts in the 27 EU member states, said Kiev was seeking a quarter million artillery shells a month in order to ease a critical shortage limiting the country's progress on the battlefield.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian Defense Minister said Kiev's forces were only firing a fifth of the rounds they could have due to the lack of supplies.

"Artillery plays a crucial role in eliminating the enemy’s military power," Reznikov said, explaining that Kiev was firing some 110,000 155mm-caliber artillery shells a month, a mere quarter of the amount used by Russia.