The European Union has delivered 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine, fulfilling the pledge it initially promised to deliver by the spring of 2024, the EU’s new top diplomat Kaja Kallas told the Kyiv Independent on the sidelines of her visit to Kyiv.
"This one million rounds of shells have been delivered, but of course, as we know here... it's not enough, more needs to be done," Kallas told the Kyiv Independent in an exclusive interview on Dec. 1.
"I think also the investments to Ukrainian defence industry are very, very welcome that these things are produced here and immediately used as well. So we are thinking about different initiatives, how we can more support and help Ukraine," Kallas said.
Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister, made the comments during a surprise visit to Kyiv on the first day of her mandate as the EU's top diplomat. Kallas visited the Ukrainian capital alongside Antonio Costa, the new president of the European Council.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent how much military aid Ukraine can expect in 2025, Kallas did not provide a specific estimate.
"There is no actual number yet, but I think it's important we know your needs, and of course, it's not enough what we are producing. So we need to really speed up the process of producing more," Kallas said.
"We have a new commissioner for defense, we intend to work with him very closely, how we can do this, how we can find also new financing to speed up the process. So there is the political will to do it."
The full delivery of the shells, initially expected to be completed by the end-of-Spring, were delayed into November amid unexpected production capacity limitations, the EU's former chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on Nov. 11.
During a news conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky following their meeting in Kyiv, Costa said that the EU would continue to provide economic, humanitarian, and military assistance to Ukraine, including 4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion) to support the Ukrainian budget by the end of the year. In 2025, the EU will also transfer 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) to Ukraine monthly.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
