Ukraine hopes to receive enough munitions from April to hold off a Russian offensive when shells bought in third countries at the initiative of the Czech Republic begin to arrive, while Germany announced new military aid to Ukraine on Tuesday worth 500 million euros, which includes 10,000 shells. Reuters and Agerpres report.

“We hope that this Czech initiative, to which Luxembourg has joined, will help us, and from April we will have enough ammunition to hold the front line,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a press conference during an official visit to Luxembourg.

The Czech Republic has taken the lead in bulk procurement of shells for the Ukrainian army, which is facing an ammunition crisis after the EU delivered only about 30% of the million 155mm shells promised last March, while US aid is still ongoing. blocked in the US Congress.

Thus, sources of procurement of about 500,000 155 mm caliber shells and about 300,000 122 mm caliber shells in non-EU countries were identified, unspecified. According to the government in Prague, as a result of financial contributions provided by several states, the funds for the purchase of about 300,000 shells are currently secured, and their delivery to Ukraine should begin no later than June, which is a less optimistic deadline than the one proposed by the Ukrainian Prime Minister .

The latter also insisted on “the supply of medium- and long-range missiles to cut Russia’s logistical routes in the occupied territories.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi also asked his country’s allies for more anti-aircraft systems, noting that this month alone, the Russian military launched 130 more missiles, 320 attack drones and about 900 guided bombs on Ukrainian territory.

“We demand more protection, namely a very real number of anti-aircraft systems that our partners have,” Zelenskyy wrote on the X platform.

“Patriot” and other systems should do what they were created for: to protect lives, and not fall on them with dust in warehouses,” insisted the Ukrainian president on the day when the states that support the Ukrainian military at war with Russia are meeting again to see what else they can offer to help Ukraine’s army, which is facing a troop and ammunition crisis, halt Russian advances on several fronts in eastern Ukraine.

At this meeting, the Ukrainian delegation identified the acquisition of more missiles and air defense systems as a priority.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has already announced during this meeting that his country is offering Ukraine another military aid package worth 500 million euros, which includes, among other things, 10,000 shells, and he also assessed that the United States remains a reliable partner despite impasse of Congress regarding aid to Ukraine.

But Ukraine is “shocked” by this blockade, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, quoted by AFP. “It is really important and shocking to us that the decision has not been made yet. We are approaching the end of March, and the debate continues,” the Ukrainian minister complained at an online briefing for the foreign press. But he expressed confidence that American aid would eventually arrive.

The U.S. Senate approved a new $61.4 billion military and economic aid funding package for Ukraine, but it stalled in the House of Representatives amid a dispute between President Joe Biden’s Democrats and Republicans over immigration policy. Some Republican congressmen support legislation that provides for this assistance, but Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a close friend of Donald Trump, refuses to put it to a vote.

However, Donald Trump offered American aid to Ukraine in the form of loans, not donations, an idea that Ukraine does not reject, but needs more detailed information, the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also stated.

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