On November 14, 2023, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said that in order to solve the problem of the lack of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the EU is considering the possibility of redirecting ammunition to Ukraine, which was originally intended for export to third countries.
Currently, about 300,000 projectiles have already been sent to Ukraine from the existing stockpiles of EU member states. This was a temporary solution to the problem, but in order to fulfill the promise of supplying one million rounds, the EU is considering the possibility of redistributing the ammunition that was intended for export.
"Now we are focused on production. Several contracts have been signed and production lines have been launched. The third way is to increase the production capacity," said Josep Borrell.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stressed that his country had fulfilled its promise to deliver one million shells, but problems arose due to a lack of production capacity in the EU.
Currently, the EU is considering various options for solving this situation, and one of the possible options is to redirect export ammunition to Ukraine in priority order. The governments of EU member states continue to work on increasing production capacity and ensuring the supply of ammunition.
This decision became an important step for providing Ukraine with the necessary military resources in the conditions of Russian aggression.
