EU countries cannot decide how to conclude contracts for the purchase of ammunition for the needs of the armed forces of Ukraine, the newspaper reports. Politico with reference to sources. The reason for the disagreement was the question of whether weapons contracts will be concluded exclusively with companies from the EU, or whether they will be open to manufacturers from other countries. The meeting held on this occasion by the EU ambassadors did not produce any result.
“EU ambassadors met but failed to make significant progress on the issue of procurement of ammunition for Ukraine,” Politico sources say.
As stated in the material, France insists that contracts be concluded with companies within the EU. The position of Paris is supported by Greece and Cyprus, this is due to their desire to avoid concluding contracts with Turkish manufacturers. However, a number of states believe that, if necessary, it is possible to conclude contracts with companies from countries outside the European Union, adds Politico.
The European Commission will have to do more work to determine the potential of EU companies before a final agreement is reached, the newspaper’s interlocutors specify. Despite the controversy, the EU is expected to come to an agreement on the format and volume of new military supplies to Ukraine next week.
Earlier, the ministers of foreign affairs and the heads of the ministries of defense of the EU countries during a meeting in Brussels agreed on a scheme for the supply of conventional ammunition to Ukraine. Within a year, a million shells for artillery systems should be sent to Kyiv, for which the EU states will spend about €2 billion.
Read more about Western military assistance to Ukraine in the material “Kommersant” “Europeans are equipping Ukraine.”
