The European Union “respects its commitments” to supply ammunition to Ukraine, the head of European diplomacy said on Friday, trying to allay concerns in Kyiv about differences between France and its partners over joint procurement, AFP reported.
“I spoke with (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine) Dmytro Kuleba to confirm that the EU is fulfilling its obligations regarding the supply of ammunition to Ukraine,” wrote Josep Borrell on Twitter.
In March, the EU agreed to allocate one billion euros for the supply of ammunition from existing state stocks and another billion for joint procurement contracts concluded by September 30 to European defense companies.
This second component is the subject of sharp disagreement in the ongoing negotiations in Brussels.
“The failure of the EU to implement its own decision on joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine is disappointing,” Kuleba tweeted on Thursday, noting that “for Ukraine, the price of inaction is measured in human lives.”
The agreement, reached in March, envisages that the joint purchases will be made from the “European defense industry”.
France has a very strict interpretation of this provision, several European diplomats said. Paris refuses to allow non-EU or non-EU companies to refund purchases.
But “a number of other member states have doubts that in this case ammunition can be delivered to Ukraine on time, and we should not categorically exclude arms partners in Australia, South Korea, South Africa or Switzerland,” he said. their.
Europe’s biggest munitions maker, Germany’s Rheinmetall group, has a munitions factory in Australia and wants Europe to reimburse it for that production.
These negotiations will resume on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, where Kuleba will participate via video conference.
“This point is being discussed and an agreement will be reached,” a high-ranking European official assured, trying to calm the participants of the meeting. “Ammunition will be delivered to Ukraine on time,” he said.
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Source: Hot News
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