Edgars Rinkēvičs, the President of Latvia, has urged the EU to buy artillery shells for Ukraine outside its borders, as the EU has not enough time to provide the necessary ammunition according to the deadline of March 2024. Rinkēvičs believes that if there is not enough ammunition or equipment in the EU, it is crucial that Ukraine continues fighting and receives what they need.
The controversy surrounding the ammunition that the EU wants to deliver to Kyiv has been ongoing since the beginning of the one million rounds of ammunition initiative. France, the largest defence sector in the EU, has imposed strict restrictions on bringing non-EU munitions into the initiative. Other countries, including Sweden and the Baltic States, are more open to purchasing shells beyond Europe. Rinkēvičs also expressed concern that EU problems could affect the US, where aid to Ukraine also faces political difficulties.
Rinkēvičs believes that if Europe is unable to produce enough ammunition or provide enough financial support it could have a negative impact on the US debate, as there will be an argument that if Europe is not doing enough or if Europe doesn’t care, then they shouldn’t care.
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Shells for Ukraine
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