The Ministry of Defense of Estonia has urged European Union countries to contribute to the supply of one million artillery shells for Ukraine.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur made this statement, as reported by ERR.
"We recognize that this is a very complex process. We will continue to push our line. Next week, we will head to Brussels with the message that countries need to make their contribution," he said.
According to the minister, approximately one-third of the target for shells for Ukraine has already been achieved, one-third has commitments in place, and one-third is still to be addressed.
"Now it is necessary to reach an agreement at the political level: whether we will take ammunition from our reserves or not. If countries do not have enough shells, will they have to allocate funds to purchase the necessary ammunition to be sent to Ukraine," he stated.
In March of last year, the defense and foreign affairs ministers of the EU approved a plan for joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine. The plan involved supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 1 million shells over the following 12 months.
However, by November 2023, the EU informed its members that it was unlikely to deliver the promised 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine. This plan was supposed to be executed by March 2024.
