Berlin (agencies)
Germany, France, and Poland, or what is known as the “Weimar Trio,” expressed solidarity with Kiev in a meeting held yesterday in Berlin that brought together the leaders of the three countries to overcome their differences over how to support Ukraine in its confrontation against Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the three countries are “united” in their endeavor “to support the Ukrainian people until the end.”
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, alongside the French President and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, said that the assistance provided by the allies will continue “as long as it takes.”
Macron's position last month in which he refused to rule out deploying troops on the ground in Ukraine prompted sharp reactions from Berlin and other European partners.
The French President did not back down from his position, but indicated that the Western allies would not be the first to escalate.
He said yesterday: “We will continue, as we did from day one, not to push for escalation.” Tusk stated that yesterday's meeting proved that what was said about discrepancies between Ukraine's supporters was “incorrect.” He added: “Today we spoke with a unified voice.”
The Polish Prime Minister had indicated, before the summit of the so-called “Weimar Trio,” that the three countries must “mobilize all of Europe” to provide much-needed aid to Kiev.
The tripartite alliance “Weimar Tripartite” was established in the German city of Weimar on August 29, 1991, after the end of the Cold War and the start of the German reunification process, and seeks cooperation between the three countries in the economic, security and cultural fields. Ukraine has recently been subjected to a series of field retreats, as its forces suffer from a severe shortage of ammunition, while its Western allies are late in providing support.
A US military aid package worth $60 billion is still pending in Congress, due to Republicans preventing its passage, while President Joe Biden acknowledged that a separate military aid package worth $300 million announced on Tuesday is “insufficient.”
In addition, the European Union announced yesterday the allocation of two billion euros to its defense sector, including 500 million euros to produce two million artillery shells per year by 2025, based on an urgent request from Ukraine. The European Union revealed its intention to allocate about two billion euros to enhance its defense capabilities in the context of several existing European programs, according to a statement issued by the European Commission.
Of this total amount, 500 million euros will be directed to the production of artillery shells that the Ukrainian forces desperately need.
The European Commission has identified 31 projects in the European Union and Norway that would allow doubling Europe's production capacity for these munitions. The production capacity of the 155 mm shells most commonly used in Ukraine was equivalent to one million shells per year until late January.
Two-thirds of these projects will be devoted to the production of gunpowder and explosives, which are the two elements that Europe lacks to the greatest degree.
With more than two years having passed since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the Ukrainian army lacks soldiers and requires ammunition and air defense systems to repel Russian army attacks.
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