EU Falls Short on Ammunition Pledge to Ukraine

The EU’s Pledge to Ukraine

The European Union pledged to send Ukraine one million rounds of ammunition by March 2024. However, it has only managed to send 300,000 rounds so far, according to an EU official. The EU’s production rates are hindering their ability to meet the target.

A Difficult Task Ahead

An unnamed senior EU official informed Politico Europe that reaching the one million-round target will be a challenging endeavor. Politico’s report revealed that EU countries have only fulfilled less than a third of their promise, sending 300,000 rounds to Ukraine.

Doubt Within Europe

Senior officials from other European countries and Ukraine share the same skepticism. Bloomberg recently reported that it is “very unlikely” for the EU to meet its one million-round target by March. Germany’s Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, both expressed doubts about reaching the goal.

Production Capacity Issues

The limitation lies in the production capacity of Europe’s defense manufacturers. The EU’s main problem is the inability to match Ukraine’s daily ammunition consumption, estimated to be between 6,000 and 7,000 rounds by Estonia’s defense ministry. Consequently, Ukraine has struggled to keep up with Russia’s firing rate, which reached up to 60,000 rounds per day during intense barrages.

A Call for Action

This shortfall has raised concerns within NATO as well. Admiral Rob Bauer, who chairs NATO’s Military Committee, recently highlighted the dwindling supply of Western ammunition for Ukraine. While weapons systems have been provided, ammunition stocks are limited. Immediate action is required to fulfill the EU’s ammunition pledge and support Ukraine effectively.

Source: The EU has sent less than a third of the 1 million rounds of ammo it promised Ukraine, report says