EU yet to finalize implementation plan for ammo donations to Ukraine
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Despite having announced the plan two weeks ago, the EU continues to struggle to finalize the implementation plan as ambassadors fail to agree on the fine print.
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European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, February 1, 2023. (Reuters)
The European Union has yet to sort out the legal specifics of how to implement a historic agreement announced about two weeks ago regarding delivering piles of ammunition to Ukraine.
According to Sputnik, which cited diplomats knowledgeable of the negotiations, the plan to jointly buy and supply Ukraine with ammunition has been stalled since EU ambassadors, who reportedly met on Wednesday, failed to make any significant progress.
The subject of conflict is whether these arms contracts will go solely to EU firms and how they will be formally defined, or whether they will be available to outside manufacturers as well. According to several diplomats, France is pressing for the money to remain within EU borders. Greece and Cyprus have also supported Paris, which some officials believe is motivated by a wish to prevent contracts from being awarded to Turkish manufacturers.
Moreover, it was noted by two diplomats that the European Commission must conduct a deeper investigation to map out the EU companies' capacity before a final deal was reached.
Given the complexity of the controversial issue, the EU ambassadors, on Wednesday, sought to focus their efforts on finalizing another aspect of the agreement: The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that ambassadors reached an agreement on the ammunition donation plan and the legal text for it, which is anticipated to be formally released next week.
The coordinated purchasing agreement has come together quickly within the past few weeks. Despite the hurry to ratify the agreement, which aims to provide Ukraine with 1 million rounds of ammo over the next 12 months, the situation remains delicate. Aside from the ongoing disputes over the fine print, there are fears that the EU's military sector will be unable to produce enough shells in a timely manner.
However, the EU intends to roll out the strategy in three stages.
In the first stage, the EU will allocate €1 billion to nations that can instantly contribute ammunition – and potentially missiles – from their own military stockpiles or redirect inbound purchases.
Then, another €1 billion will be put aside to collectively purchase more ammunition for Ukraine and replenish Europe's contributed shells.
Finally, it wishes to look into methods to improve Europe's ability to produce the weapons it will require in the coming years.
Putin says West cannot 'outgun' Russia in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a Russian media interview in March, soon after the EU announced the ammunition plan, stressed that despite the West's multi-billion-dollar-worth campaigns supplying Ukraine with weapons to support their proxy war, the US and Europeans will not be able to outgun Russia.
Putin explained that the West has been attempting to "create a new Axis", similar to what Nazi Germany did before WWII, recalling what he had said in a previous interview about NATO agreeing to a new strategic concept bloc.
When asked about the US and European campaigns to arm Ukraine in order to prolong their proxy war against Russia, Putin said the West will not be able to deliver enough weapons for Kiev to outgun Moscow. Putin was also asked if these weapons were considered a "threat" by Moscow, to which he replied, "threats exist, of course."
The Russian President further explained, "When weapons are supplied to a country we are in conflict with, this is always a threat. As far as how they can be assessed, of course, we know about the plans to supply them."
It is worth noting that Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against these deliveries, warning that they will have significant regional and global security consequences.
"We are concerned about [weapons deliveries] from the perspective that this is an attempt to prolong the conflict," Putin said, noting that "from the point of view of the logic of those who provoked this conflict and are trying to preserve it at any cost, [the supply of weapons] is probably the right decision. But in my opinion, this will only lead to a greater tragedy."
Read more: Germany adds €12 bln in military assistance for Ukraine: Bloomberg
