Czech Republic urges EU states to buy up to 500,000 shells for Ukraine beyond bloc – media

12:06, 03.02.2024 1 min read

Europe is falling way short on its pledge to send 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by March, and the Czech Republic says it is high time to look beyond the borders of the EU for supplies, Politico reported.

"Frustrated by this shortfall, Prague is pushing EU countries to finance the purchase of what it estimates are 450,000 rounds of artillery available outside the bloc," the publication said referring to diplomats familiar with the talks.

When the EU was calibrating its military aid commitments in early 2023, France — the bloc's defense industry leader — had been pushing to make sure that subsidies were focused only on local production, rather than being funneled abroad.

According to Politico, the Czech call raises the prospect that Europe would turn instead to arms companies in South Korea, Turkey and South Africa.