Czechia expects Ukraine to receive first batch of ammunition bought outside EU soon

The Czech initiative to procure 800,000 shells for Ukraine outside the EU, which is financed jointly by a number of states, will be able to make first deliveries to Kyiv in a few weeks.

Source: Jan Jires, the director general for defence policy and strategy of the Czech Republic, in an interview for Bloomberg, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Jires said that first supplies may be delivered to Ukraine in a few weeks. The delivery will be made within the framework of an initiative in which Czechia is a mediator for the governments willing to fund the procurement of 155-mm projectiles in third countries.

Jires noted that a number of European countries had joined the initiative. He refused to say which countries fund the procurement or whose stockpiles are being used but assumed that this information would most likely be disclosed after the supply of the ammunition.

The Czech initiative is one of the ways "of us demonstrating we are actually doing something, not waiting what is going to happen on the Hill," Jires added, hinting at the additional aid for Ukraine being blocked in the Congress.

Background:

• Petr Pavel, President of Czechia, stated at the Munich Security Conference that his country had found up to 800,000 projectiles of the NATO standard calibre which it may send to Ukraine in a few weeks, if it receives funding for the delivery.
• The Czech Defence Ministry stated earlier that it coordinated the efforts and sought preliminary commitments of Canada and Denmark, as well as other countries which preferred to remain anonymous.
• The Netherlands publicly announced their participation after allocating €250 million for the procurement.

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