The Council of the European Union agreed on Friday to support Ukraine with EUR 1 billion under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to enable member states to jointly purchase 155mm caliber artillery ammunition and missiles for Ukraine.
“Today’s decision is another major step to deliver more ammunition to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces need substantial amounts of ammunition to defend the Ukrainian people and territory,” commented EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on the agreement reached.
EU countries agreed to help #Ukraine 🇺🇦 Armed Forces:
☑️ €1 billion: for donations of ammunition & missiles
☑️ €1 billion: for joint procurement of ammunition & missiles
Both funded via #EuropeanPeaceFacility
More ⬇️https://t.co/ydcN0lRH5Q pic.twitter.com/JnnmIeCGmI
— EU Council (@EUCouncil) May 5, 2023
“They need it fast. Together with the previous decision to swiftly provide ammunition from existing stocks, we are committing EUR 2 billion to this purpose, bringing the total EU military support to Ukraine to EUR 5.6 billion,” he added.
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The aid will finance the supply of 155mm caliber artillery shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and, if requested, missiles, which EU member states will jointly purchase from the European defense industry.
“The measure will support joint procurement of ammunition and missiles from economic operators established in the EU or Norway, and producing these ammunition and missiles in the EU or Norway. The supply chains of these operators may include operators established or having their production outside of the EU or Norway. The measure will also cover deliveries of ammunition and missiles which have undergone an important stage of their manufacturing in the EU or Norway which consists of final assembly,” the EU Council press release explains.
To be eligible for reimbursement from the EPF, contracts will have to be concluded before September 30, 2023.
Political agreement on a plan to transfer one million artillery shells to Ukraine within 12 months was reached on March 20 this year. Until now, however, specific legal provisions of only one component of the entire system have been negotiated. France blocked the agreement, demanding that only companies with a 100 percent EU supply chain could receive supply contracts.