Ukraine’s allies have nearly raised the required funding to buy 800,000 artillery shells through a Czech-led allied initiative, Bloomberg reported on March 6, citing a government official familiar with the matter.
As $60 billion in aid for Ukraine from the U.S. remains stalled in Congress, Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to face critical ammunition shortages.
Czech President Petr Pavel said in February at the Munich Conference that Prague had found 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be sent to Ukraine within weeks if the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.
Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, and Denmark have already publicly committed to the Czech-led initiative.
Germany and Latvia also announced joining the initiative on March 6.
Germany will pledge a "three-digit-million euro sum" to the Czech initiative, according to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, AFP reported.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Latvia would join the initiative without mentioning the amount of funds contributed.
The commitments mean that the shells could be delivered to Ukraine "in a matter of weeks," Bloomberg reported, citing separate people who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
"The precise timing would depend on contractual and delivery schedules, and could slip," the people warned, Bloomberg wrote.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on March 6 at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis that there is "positive progress regarding the Czech initiative."
"But we can assess positive results when the shells are in Ukraine," Zelensky added.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
