EU defense ministers to discuss the supply of ammunition and training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The heads of the Ministries of Defense of the EU member states will gather on March 7-8 at an informal meeting of the EU Council in Stockholm, Interfax reports.

A joint dinner of ministers is scheduled for Tuesday evening, the working sessions will be held on Wednesday.

The only issue on the agenda of the ministerial meeting is military assistance to Ukraine.

The heads of the military departments will first discuss the preparation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the EU military assistance mission to Ukraine – EUMAM Ukraine.

The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU announces that a representative of Ukraine will take part in the discussion.

Then the ministers will consider the issue of financing the purchase of artillery shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The topic of ammunition was discussed at trilateral talks in Brussels between NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Borrell, after the meeting, announced the need to accelerate the support of Kyiv with ammunition.

European media commented on the EU plan to supply Ukraine with ammunition. We are talking about covering the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 155-mm shells at the expense of stocks in European warehouses and at the same time increasing production to replenish dwindling resources.

The Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that 3 blocks will be discussed at an informal meeting.

First: for urgent assistance to Kyiv, EU member states are invited to get rid of their stockpiles of shells. They will be offered incentive: incentive: reimbursement from the European Peace Fund on the principle of “the faster the delivery, the higher the reimbursement rate.” Norway and Canada are also invited to join this project.

Second: ensuring a quick response to the depletion of the stocks of the armies of the EU countries when the conflict drags on.

Third: strengthening the production capacity of European industry with the help of the EU budget in the medium and long term.

In Stockholm, according to this plan, there will be only discussion, without making decisions. In the future, it must be officially approved at the “big” EU Council before the EU summit, which will be held on March 23-24. It is expected that the first persons of the EU countries will finally speak out on this plan.