Borrell explained the issue with million rounds of ammunition and called for urgent military aid to Ukraine

EU High Representative Josep Borrell called on Western partners to provide Ukraine with urgent military assistance. He emphasized that the transfer of one million artillery rounds, which the EU promised to deliver back in March, requires accelerating defense production.

Borrell made the statement in Brussels during a press conference following the EU Foreign Affairs Council (defense). It was reported by Ukrinform.

"When we are talking about the issue of ammunition, implementation continues as it is an ongoing process. We are focusing on these three 'tracks' that were agreed in the spring by the member states. The delivery of 1 million rounds of ammunition remains a political goal that we have set. It is an ambitious intention, but it remains our goal. And we will continue to push for it, to do everything we can every day to deliver more and faster," Borrell said.

The head of diplomacy added that EU member states have already supplied Ukraine with more than 300,000 shells on their own.

"Under the joint order we have placed through the European Defense Agency, as well as through the leading states, France and Germany in particular, at least 180,000 shells have already been ordered from the industry, they have already been contracted and are to be delivered in 2023-2024. I insist that this is a work in progress and these numbers will grow as there is room for more orders," the EU official added.

According to Borrell, based on the European Commission's data, the European industry is capable of producing 1 million shells a year. However, a certain part of them should be exported to third countries.

"According to European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the EU has the capacity to produce 1 million shells per year. But this does not mean that we will have this million rounds by March. We probably won't have them by March. But it also depends on how quickly the industry responds to our orders. If the industry has the capacity to produce them, it's up to the member states to place the appropriate orders to speed up production. So we are talking about different stages of this process," the EU High Representative said.

Borrell added that a strategy for the European defense industry will be created early next year.

Military assistance, he said, includes equipment for defense against the Russian occupiers. Namely, an increase in the number of air defense equipment, training for F-16 pilots, winter equipment and ammunition.

"The ministers talked about Ukraine today. I emphasized the urgent need to increase our military assistance to Ukraine. I also reminded them of the urgent needs of the Ukrainian army to protect itself from Russian aggression. This means supplying air defense equipment, making working progress in training F-16 pilots, and providing winter equipment and ammunition. We are already doing a lot for this, but all (ministers - ed.) agreed that we must do more and faster. Time is now measured not only by the destruction of infrastructure and homes but also by the loss of human lives," Borrell emphasized.

According to him, the training of the Ukrainian military within the framework of the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM-Ukraine - Ed.) is progressing "very well."

As reported by OBOZ.UA, France plans to train 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of this year. This will happen as part of the European Union's mission to provide military assistance to our country, which began a year ago.

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