The pledge last March sounded as catchy as it was ambitious: European Union states would deliver a million rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition to Ukraine within a year.
Europe’s shrunken military sector, they say, may simply be unable to ramp up production fast enough to achieve the million-shell goal.
Since March, governments across Europe have become more aggressive about assessing — and replenishing — ammunition needs, not just for Ukraine, but also for their own military stockpiles.
Manufacturers are building 155-millimeter rounds even before being fully paid.
And European Union officials have fast-tracked at least eight contracts with producers on the continent to supply and reimburse states that jointly procure artillery ammunition instead of competing for it.
Organizations:
European Union
Locations:
Ukraine, Europe