EU summit approves joint procurement of ammunition, missiles for Ukraine

The European Council's press service reported it in its statement. 

“Taking into account the security and defence interests of all Member States, the European Council welcomes the agreement in the Council to urgently deliver ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition to Ukraine and, if requested, missiles,” the statement says.

At the same time, the European Council clarified that such supplies will be made through joint procurement and mobilization of appropriate funding, in particular through the European Peace Facility.

The EU leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to imposing new restrictions on Russia and continuing to work on a cap on the aggressor country's oil prices. They supported the creation of a special tribunal for Russia to deal with crimes of aggression.

The European Council reiterated the EU's full support for the establishment of an international mechanism to register the damage caused by Russia. Together with its partners, the European Union will continue to intensify efforts to use Russia's frozen and immobilized assets to rebuild Ukraine.

At the same time, the European Council emphasized the need to intensify work with partners to counter false Russian narratives and disinformation about the war.

It supported Ukraine's efforts to join the European Union and positively assessed the implementation of the necessary reforms.

• On March 20, it became known that most EU countries had approved a plan to supply ammunition to Ukraine. The agreement was signed by Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and Norway.

• Several countries are not on the preliminary list of project participants, but only Hungary has officially declared that it has refused to participate in the purchase of 1 million rounds of ammunition for Ukraine.

• Poland and several other countries have not signed the EU plan to supply ammunition to Ukraine. Warsaw explained it by the fact that internal procedures in the country have not been completed.

• Eventually, on March 22, Spain joined the joint procurement agreement, and on March 23, Poland joined.