Germany is conducting "discreet negotiations" to procure artillery ammunition from India, which is estimated to have "several hundred thousand rounds" stored in stockpiles, Der Spiegel reported on Feb. 25.
The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Feb. 19 that he has urged member states to procure ammunition for Ukraine outside the bloc if this source of supply is "better, cheaper, and quicker."
Kyiv is facing critical ammunition shortages, as $61 billion in funding from the U.S. remains stuck in Congress, causing defense aid deliveries to run dry. Reports suggest Ukraine could face a catastrophic shortage of supplies like shells and air defenses within weeks.
Der Spiegel reported that Berlin is looking to Arab states, as well as countries in the Balkans and Africa, for new supplies of ammunition for Ukraine.
The German military is currently looking to stockpiles in countries outside the EU, with a group of military officers, diplomats, and civil servants meeting in Berlin every two weeks to assess which "which countries can be approached that may still have ammunition stocks."
Negotiations are being conducted with New Delhi in a "discreet" way given its "friendly relations with Moscow," Der Spiegel said.
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One diplomatic solution is that Berlin could obtain the ammunition "through intermediaries," according to Der Spiegel.
India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Moscow in December and said that Indo-Russia ties are "very strong."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia and India had made progress in talks on the joint production of military equipment.
A Pew poll conducted in August 2023 found that 57% of Indians had a positive view of Russia, and another 59% had "confidence in Russian (dictator) Vladimir Putin."
When asked about economic ties, 71% of Indians said that "maintaining access to Russia's oil and gas reserves is more important than being tough with Russia on Ukraine."
Trade between Russia and India has grown to record levels, RIA Novosti claimed in October 2023.
Igor Kossov
