KYIV. May 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The EU Council has agreed to allocate EUR 1 billion for the purchase of artillery shells and, if necessary, missiles for Ukraine, the EU Council reported on its website.
“The Council today adopted an assistance measure worth €1 billion under the European Peace Facility (EPF) that will further contribute to strengthening the capabilities and resilience of Ukraine to defend its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian military aggression,” according to a press release posted on the official EU website on Friday.
As reported, the assistance measure will finance “the provision to the Ukrainian Armed Forces of 155-mm-calibre artillery rounds and, if requested, missiles which will be jointly procured by EU member states from the European defence industry.”
“Today’s decision is another major step to deliver more ammunition to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces need substantial amounts of ammunition to defend the Ukrainian people and territory. They need it fast. Together with the previous decision to swiftly provide ammunition from existing stocks, we are committing EUR 2 billion to this purpose, bringing the total EU military support to Ukraine to EUR 5.6 billion,” the press service of the EU Council quoted Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as saying.