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EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ministers meeting in Brussels were being asked “to present exactly what they have done, what they are doing, what they plan to do” to arm Ukraine.
“The purpose of the meeting is precisely that – to have a clear understanding of the situation and the commitments,” Borrell told journalists.
“The Ukrainians need more ammunition. There is a big imbalance on the fire capacity from one side on the other.”
European allies have been one of the biggest sources of weaponry for Ukraine since Moscow launched its all-out invasion in February 2022.
However, the 27-nation bloc is set to fall far short of a collective vow made last March to provide Kyiv with one million artillery shells within a year.
With a month to go before the deadline, EU figures show it has so far provided well under half of the shells pledged.
Estonia’s defence minister Hanno Pevkur said he wanted a consensus that the EU could at least reach the million rounds promised “or even more” by the end of this year.
The discussion over EU military support for Ukraine will roll over into a summit of European leaders tomorrow, dominated mainly by Hungary blocking €50 billion in budget support for Kyiv.
Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz – whose country is the largest European donor to Ukraine – has called for others to lay out their military support and do more to help Kyiv.
Accusations have been levelled that key EU economies such as France, Italy, and Spain are not pulling their weight on arming Ukraine.
Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren said the aim today was to look at whether all countries were doing their “full share”.
“Some are doing more. Some are doing more but not doing it openly,” she said.
The EU is currently debating an overhaul to a central fund that has been used to cover the cost of weapons for Kyiv.
Borrell’s diplomatic service is pushing for an extra €5 billion for the fund but Germany has been arguing contributions should be offset against bilateral aid.
The push to get EU states to do more comes as future military support from Ukraine’s key backer the US hangs in the balance.
The looming spectre of a potential return of former president Donald Trump to the White House at November elections has heightened calls for Europe to stand stronger.
The EU has launched a major drive to bolster its defence industry to make it fit-for-purpose in the face of Russia’s aggression.
But arms producers are still struggling to ramp up capacity fast enough and say governments need to commit to long-term contracts.
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