von der Leyen says EU “could move mountains” to supply Kiev with ammunition | – #von #der #Leyen #move #mountains #supply #Kiev #ammunition
MUNICH, February 18 (Reuters) – Europe Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday expressed the EU’s common interest in buying more ammunition for Ukraine. Europe individual when it comes to defense procurement programs national he said he was sure it would exceed interests.
Kiev every day 10 The bloc is urgently exploring ways for member countries to buy munitions to help Ukraine after warnings that its force, which fires up to 000 artillery shells, urgently needs more supplies.
“As always in this brutal war launched by Russia against Ukraine, we see that under pressure we can move mountains, so here too,” he said in an interview with Reuters and other media at the Munich Security Conference.
“These are not normal times, but extraordinary times. Therefore, we should also look at emergency measures or procedures,” he said.
In the past national often focus on interests Europe prevents closer defense cooperation between their countries, hinders and slows down joint procurement programs.
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In her speech at the conference, von der Leyen earlier called on the EU to join forces with the bloc’s defense industry to accelerate and expand production of much-needed munitions on the battlefield in Ukraine and build up stockpiles at home. offer did
He’s doing what the bloc did during the pandemic to prepare for large-scale production of a COVID vaccine offer did
“For example, we can think about advanced procurement contracts that allow the defense industry to invest more quickly in production lines now and increase the amount they can deliver,” he said.
Von der Leyen stressed that the block for months and years military will not be able to replenish its stockpiles or ship ammunition such as 155mm cannon shells to Ukraine.
EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the idea of jointly buying 155mm shells, which Kiev desperately needs, at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.
“At the moment we are talking about a standardized … ammunition that we will finance either at the European level or at the level of the member states, this is the scheme behind it,” von der Leyen said in an interview.
“I don’t think Ukraine will currently finance it. That’s why we have to finance it.”
NATOGeneral Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said this week that Ukraine uses artillery shells faster than its allies can currently produce.
Reporting by Sabine Siebold Editing by Matthias Williams and Helen Popper
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2023-02-18 22:23:44
Source – reuters
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