EU audits weapons provided to Ukraine

Informational Resistance reported the information, citing the Financial Times.

Three EU diplomats have confirmed this information to the Financial Times. The European Union External Action Service (EEAS) is responsible for carrying out the audit, and the results are expected to be presented at the EU leaders' summit on February 1.

The EEAS is collecting information from member states based on its requests, but the process has reportedly encountered resistance from some countries unwilling to provide full information. The decision to conduct the audit was prompted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called for an assessment and comparison of military supplies to Kyiv. Scholz emphasized the need for a comprehensive overview of the concrete contributions European partners will make to support Ukraine.

“The arms deliveries for Ukraine planned so far by the majority of EU member states are by all means too small. We need an overview as precise as possible of what concrete contribution our European partners will make to support Ukraine this year,” he said.

Chancellor Scholz's public demand for transparency echoed private concerns expressed by officials from various EU countries regarding the adequacy of military supplies. A study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy revealed that Germany has made the largest arms supply commitments in the EU, totaling over EUR 17 billion as of October 31 the previous year. This amount is approximately five times more than the next largest arms supplier, Denmark.

Scholz's comments were interpreted as a critique of other major EU countries with smaller military commitments, such as France and Italy. His call for transparency has garnered private support from senior officials in Brussels who believe that some states could contribute more weapons to Ukraine, especially during this critical time.

Reports suggest that Chancellor Scholz intends to use the February 1 EU summit, focused on the mid-term review of the EU budget, to encourage partners to increase their weapons shipments to Ukraine. Bulgaria has previously announced its commitment to providing weapons for Ukraine.