EU to sign agreement on purchasing 155mm ammunition for Ukraine on Monday – Reuters

Several European Union countries are expected to sign a "Project Arrangement" on the joint procurement of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine on Monday. 

Source: a senior EU official said this to the Reuters agency on Friday, European Pravda writes.

The official could not confirm how many countries would sign but said they were "quite confident of seeing many signatures on Monday", and other countries could join it at any time.

Quote: "(The Project Arrangement) is the basis for the European Defense Agency and its member states to move on, ... the terms of reference that are the legal basis to move on," the official stated.

Reminder: On 8 March in Stockholm, the defence ministers of the EU countries agreed to speed up the supply of artillery shells and purchase more ammunition to help Ukraine, but they are yet to decide how to implement these plans.

As reported, the EU can use the short-term instrument of joint procurement of weapons with a budget of 500 million euros to speed up the industrial production of 155mm ammunition needed by Ukraine.

So far, EU countries have provided Ukraine with 350,000 155mm artillery shells, which Kyiv needs more of to maintain its defence line and start the expected spring counteroffensive.

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