EU 'Inability' To Provide Vital Ammunition 'Frustrating' Ukraine

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has hit out at European Union partners for their "inability" to deliver on a major new ammunition procurement program, which has promised a million artillery shells for Ukraine's busy gunners.

Kuleba wrote on Twitter on Thursday that continued delays will cost Ukrainian lives, as Kyiv's troops fight off repeated Russian attacks along the length of the 800-mile front while preparing their own spring counteroffensive.

"The inability of the EU to implement its own decision on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine is frustrating," wrote Kuleba. "This is a test of whether the EU has strategic autonomy in making new crucial security decisions. For Ukraine, the cost of inaction is measured in human lives."

EU members agreed in March to commit to a shared fund to finance 1 million artillery shells for Ukraine over the coming 12 months. Artillery ammunition is badly needed in Ukraine's war with Russia, which has often been dominated by artillery duels. Both sides are reportedly rationing ammunition due to shortages.

Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, told Newsweek: "This view from Kuleba is widely shared and there is a strong need for ammunition at the front line right now. The timing of the delivery of ammunition also matters because it's about saving the lives of our soldiers and our civilian population."

"Our military servicemen have to use munitions very wisely and count them," Merezhko added. "To have a successful counteroffensive, we need to have enough ammunition."

Twenty-three EU nations, plus Norway, have signed up for the $2 billion project through the European Defense Agency (EDA). Those involved have agreed to dedicate $1 billion to nations able to donate ammunition from their own stocks or redirect existing orders. The second $1 billion is set aside to fund joint procurements contracts, as European arms firms look to expand capacity to meet the needs of a major war.

But nations are reportedly split on how to spend the second bundle of cash. Some, including Poland, want to buy shells from non-EU countries like South Korea so as to ensure the transfer of ammunition to Ukraine as quickly as possible.

But others, like France, want to purchase shells from EU sources. Going outside the bloc, they argue, would undermine European producers who will be needed to support longer-term EU defense-industrial development and "strategic autonomy," a phrase that has come to embody European ambitions for greater security and foreign policy independence, including from the U.S.

EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday to discuss ammunition procurement plans. It remains unclear whether EU nations and European producers can meet the logistical challenges inherent in such a large project. Politico cited an unnamed European diplomat who said the first $1 billion has already been settled and the bloc will be able to deliver 250,000 shells before the end of May.

An EDA spokesperson told Newsweek the agency does not comment on the work and discussions relating to the project.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is calling on the EU for more clarity on its membership bid. Accepted as an EU candidate country last summer, Kyiv is now awaiting formal accession negotiations to begin.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said last month that Ukraine has fulfilled all requirements to begin talks. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has said she hoped the negotiations can begin sometime this year.

Kuleba's remarks about EU ammunition procurement were notably pointed, but Merezhko told Newsweek that such interventions are necessary.

"I don't think that it might harm Ukraine's EU ambitions," he said. "After all, Ukraine is fighting not only for itself but also for the whole [of] Europe and the EU. Our success on the battlefield is a guarantee of European security."

"We are going through difficult and tragic times, and we should be open when talking with each other. We are allies and partners and can afford to be sincere. Besides, we don't have time to beat around the bush."

4/21/23 10:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to reflect a response from the EDA.