According to Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), the European Union will miss its goal of delivering one million artillery shells to Ukraine by March. “One million won’t be reached, that’s what we have to assume,” Pistorius said on Tuesday at a meeting with his EU colleagues in Brussels. Pistorius called on the defense industry to ramp up production.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed more caution. The member states had handed over “more than 300,000” projectiles to Ukraine from their army stocks. Further deliveries could only be made through increased arms production, which in turn depended on the financial situation of the EU countries and specific contracts with industry. He called on the member states to put numbers on the table.
EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized that The European defense industry has increased its capacities by 20 to 30 percent, so that a million bullets could be produced by spring. “This goal will be achieved,” he said. “Now it depends on the member states to conclude the agreements.” He urged states to live up to their commitment to Ukraine.
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