Europe will increase the production of weapons and ammunition. Not only for Ukraine, but also to replenish our stocks. The European Commission decided today. According to Europe correspondent Stefan de Vries, Europe is freeing up more than half a billion dollars for the production of rockets and artillery shells, among other things.
According to De Vries, the European Commission’s decision is a direct consequence of the years of defense cuts that European countries have implemented. He points out that it is only ammunition and therefore no tanks or other military equipment will be financed from the amount. The money comes from the European Defense Fund. It has now been around for about eight years and is actually intended for the development of defense technology and equipment.’
“It’s All About Ammunition”
But now it is being used for the first time for the production of ammunition. In addition, Member States would have to make an individual financial contribution, bringing the total amount up to one billion euros. “But what exactly the amount is based on is not entirely clear,” he continues. “Maybe a billion sounds good.”
Contribution
Furthermore, it is not even clear what contribution individual countries should make. According to De Vries, the intention of the European Commission is to create a sort of leverage effect, whereby the Commission gives money to industries, which then look for money to invest.
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The Corona Recovery Fund could also play a role in boosting European munitions production, thinks De Vries. “There’s so much to it, it just doesn’t occur to me,” he says. “There is a lot of money available and member states are not using it, so that could be done too.”
Important signal
De Vries also believes that it is a very important signal for both Ukraine and Russia that the European Commission seems eager not to let Ukraine down and “that it is serious”.
He thinks it plausible that member states will send ammunition from their own stocks to Ukraine first if there is an agreement, because they know that the money will come from Europe. “That has happened little by little until now, but now they know it will be integrated,” she continues. ‘But it may still be some time before Ukraine actually has the necessary ammunition. After all, the parliament still has to give its approval, as do the member states.’
According to De Vries, the European Commission hopes that the production capacity will reach one million grenades a year within a year, “but it could take a while”, he concludes. “Ukraine especially needs us to deliver our supplies.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
