The European Union has secured two-thirds of the 2 million artillery rounds pledged to Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on April 14.
"I'm happy to see we already have two-thirds of my ammunition initiative together," Kallas told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, referring to an initiative to provide Ukraine with 2 million high-caliber rounds worth 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion).
The initiative seems to be progressing, as Kallas said on April 3 that the EU had obtained only around half of the needed amount from its members.
The 2 million shells are part of a broader proposal initially suggested by Kallas for a 40-billion-euro ($45.6 billion) defense fund for Ukraine. This more ambitious plan has yet to gain full consensus among EU leaders.
The EU foreign policy chief stressed that the European bloc needs to do more, noting that European assistance commitments for this year are already greater than for 2024.
"European countries have already committed to 23 billion euros ($26 billion), which is more than last year," Kallas said. "But we also need to put pressure on Russia so that they would stop this war."
Speaking ahead of the EU summit, Kallas emphasized the urgency of support, citing ongoing civilian casualties from Russian attacks.
"It’s been a month since Ukraine agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. We haven’t seen the same from Russia," she said. The comments come shortly after Russia launched a deadly missile attack against the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday on April 13, killing over 30 people and injuring over 100.
Kallas noted that the EU foreign ministers would discuss the consequences for Russia after its latest attacks on Ukrainian civilians over the weekend.
“To want peace, it takes two. To want war, it takes only one," she said. "Russia clearly wants war. Everyone who wants the killing to stop must apply maximum pressure on Russia.”
Dominic Culverwell
(Updated: )
