Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said a decision by the European Union to allocate hundreds of millions of euros for the purchase and production of ammunition and missiles for Ukraine is a step that Kyiv has been waiting for.
Ambassadors from EU countries on May 3 agreed details of a 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) scheme to jointly buy ammunition for Ukraine after weeks of wrangling that had frustrated leaders in Kyiv.
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The move came after the European Commission launched a plan to use more than 500 million euros to help European arms firms boost capacity by upgrading equipment.
"Increasing production will help cover the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a step we were waiting for and a sign of the EU's long-term support for Ukraine," Kuleba said, thanking the European Commission for its efforts in implementing the initiative.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU stands by its promise to support Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes, adding that “Ukraine’s brave soldiers need sufficient military equipment to defend their country."
Artillery rounds have become critical in the fight, which has evolved into a war of attrition, and officials have said Kyiv is burning through rounds faster than its allies can replace them.
The EU plan provides for an increase in the production of ammunition in Europe in order to replenish the depleted stocks.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton hopes the proposal will be approved by the end of June.
The United States on May 3 also said it would provide more ammunition.
The White House announced a new shipment of heavy artillery and rocket ammunition, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The new package of security assistance includes ammunition for U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) "as well as additional howitzer, artillery, and mortar rounds and anti-armor capabilities," she said.
Jean-Pierre cited "extensive work by the U.S. government over the past few months to fulfill Ukraine's request ahead of its planned counteroffensive."