Several European countries support the Czech Republic’s initiative for the EU to purchase ammunition from outside Europe to further support Ukraine’s military efforts, participants of a meeting on Ukraine in Paris said on Monday, AFP reports.

“The Czech initiative enjoys the strong support of several countries,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after the event, which gathered more than 25 allies of Kyiv in the Elysee presidential palace.

“This is a very strong message from Russia,” the leader said, assuring that fifteen countries are ready to join this initiative aimed at responding to the shortage of ammunition, especially artillery shells, for Ukraine.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that his country would contribute “more than 100 million euros” to the Czech plan and that “other countries will follow” in this direction.

“As for ammunition, there is such a very good Czech initiative to purchase ammunition and projectiles for Ukraine from all over the world,” Rütte explained.

He declined to say which countries outside of Europe might be asked to produce the ammunition. “It’s a secret,” he said.

Several countries, including France, Germany and Italy, have signed bilateral security deals with Kiev in recent weeks, but the EU, which has provided 28 billion euros in military aid since the start of the war, is struggling to honor its commitments, particularly on missiles.

Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa, who is also in Paris, assured that EU defense ministers will present “in the next ten days a concrete plan to strengthen the ability to order ammunition to support the military efforts of the Ukrainian people.”

On the same topic:

• Germany is secretly negotiating with its Russian partner to supply shells to Ukraine – Der Spiegel
• Prime Minister of Slovakia: NATO and EU member states want to send troops to Ukraine under bilateral agreements