According to Bloomberg, the European Union (EU) has fallen significantly short of its plan to provide Ukraine with one million artillery shells by March 2024, reaching only 30% of the intended supply.
Citing informed sources, the newspaper reported that the European Union has delivered only 30% of the planned artillery shells to be supplied to Kyiv by March of the coming year.
Earlier, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen expressed confidence that the EU would deliver the promised ammunition to Ukraine by February 2024.
Previously, the foreign and defense ministers of EU member states approved a plan to provide Kyiv with one million artillery shells by March 2024. The plan also involves increasing procurement and joint production operations to replenish their own stocks and continue supplies to Ukraine in the medium term.
On the other hand, the Russian Foreign Ministry considered NATO’s supply of weapons to Ukraine as “playing with fire,” incitement that fuels the crisis, undermines peace prospects, and could lead to a nuclear war.
The Russian Defense Ministry also warned Western countries against supplying Ukraine with weapons, threatening to crush them on Ukrainian territory.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which erupted in 2014, serves as the backdrop for the current situation. This complex and ongoing war stems from Russia’s annexation of Crimea, an act that defied international law, and the subsequent emergence of pro-Russian separatist movements in eastern Ukraine. This tension-fueled conflict began when Russia forcibly seized control of Crimea, creating a flashpoint in its relations with Ukraine. In the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, pro-Russian separatist factions declared independence, setting the stage for a violent struggle between Ukrainian government forces and the separatist militias. The war has resulted in a substantial number of casualties, significant displacement of civilians, and ongoing international diplomatic efforts to achieve a resolution. The situation remains volatile and continues to evolve as of my last knowledge update in January 2022.
