This week's review of the international press indicates an enhancement of statements from Western partners regarding the need to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities through the supply of additional ammunition and weapons.
Thus, the European Union has announced new plans to ramp up large-scale production of ammunition for Ukraine as the country prepares to launch a planned spring counteroffensive, - indicates The Washington Post. The European Commission wants to use at least 1 billion euros to fund the Act in Support of Ammunition Production, or ASAP, with the goal of providing Ukraine with ammunition and replenishing the stocks in member countries. EU funds would provide half of the money, with the rest co-financed by member states.
Apart this, another article published by The Washington Post notes that the U.S. is sending Ukraine about $300 million in additional military aid, including an enormous amount of artillery rounds, howitzers, air-to-ground rockets and other ammunition as the launch of a spring offensive against russian forces approaches. All weapons will be taken from Pentagon warehouses so that they can be quickly sent to the front lines.
A very significant moment this week was the visit of President Zelenskiy to Finland and a number of other countries. As some publications indicate, the main task of this visit is to get more weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to discuss the future accession to NATO. The details have not been disclosed yet, but it is clear that the visit was productive and that Finland is an important partner of Ukraine both in defense against russia and in the matter of further accession to NATO.
It is likely that NATO's ambivalent policy regarding Ukraine's membership in the Alliance is coming to an end, and it is at the next summit in Vilnius that NATO should make a political decision on the term and process of Ukraine's accession. It would be wise for NATO members to decide exactly what security guarantees they want to offer Ukraine now, before joining, and which of these guarantees will apply after Ukraine becomes a NATO ally.
Apparently, the Western partners are gradually realizing that the best way to ensure Euro-Atlantic security is to support the fight against the rashists with the help of military equipment and the acceptance of Ukraine into NATO. After all, Ukraine currently defends the entire eastern flank of NATO and shares its knowledge with the members of the Alliance.
The European Union announced fresh plans to ramp up the large-scale production of ammunition, seeking to both benefit Ukraine while the country is at war with Russia and to improve the bloc’s geopolitical credentials.
“Let’s give first, let’s deliver first, what Ukraine needs immediately. Because again, we know exactly what’s happening on the ground,” Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, said.
He wants to use at least 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to fund the Act in Support of Ammunition Production, or ASAP, with the goal of providing Ukraine with ammunition and replenishing the stocks in member countries. EU funds would provide half of the money, with the rest co-financed by member states.
The 27-nation block now wants to make ammunition at a record pace as war is waged on its doorstep.
The U.S. is sending Ukraine about $300 million in additional military aid, including an enormous amount of artillery rounds, howitzers, air-to-ground rockets and ammunition as the launch of a spring offensive against Russian forces approaches, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
The new package includes Hydra-70 rockets, which are unguided rockets that are fired from aircraft. It also includes an undisclosed number of rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, mortars, howitzer rounds, missiles and Carl Gustaf anti—tank rifles. The weapons will all be pulled from Pentagon stocks, so they can go quickly to the front lines. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid has not yet been formally announced.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday urged European allies to accelerate Ukraine’s European Union membership bid, as Rome hosted a bilateral conference on the war-torn country’s reconstruction attended by hundreds of Italian and Ukrainian businesses.
“The smartest way to thank Ukrainians for what they are doing is to accelerate their chance of being part of the European institutions. We need to acknowledge Kyiv’s enormous efforts to reform its system and bring it closer to targets required by the EU Commission,” Meloni added, urging a quick start of negotiations needed to grant Ukraine full EU membership.
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