Bruxelles. “Together we will make sure that Ukraine has everything it needs to live in freedom,” said the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austinopening the meeting of Ramstein’s groupwhich includes about fifty countries providing military aid to Kyiv. In the eleventh meeting, the focus was mainly on ammunition and air defence. There is urgency ahead of the announced Ukrainian counter-offensive. But once again the European Union is lagging behind. The 27 member states, which announced a plan to supply munitions to Ukraine over a month ago, have not yet been able to agree on joint purchases. France blocked the green light by insisting on a “Buy European” clause. “The EU’s inability to implement its decision on the joint procurement of munitions for Ukraine is frustrating,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba protested on Thursday.
Bruxelles. “Together we will make sure that Ukraine has everything it needs to live in freedom,” said the US defense secretary, Lloyd Austinopening the meeting of Ramstein’s groupwhich includes about fifty countries providing military aid to Kyiv. In the eleventh meeting, the focus was mainly on ammunition and air defence. There is urgency ahead of the announced Ukrainian counter-offensive. But once again the European Union is lagging behind. The 27 member states, which announced a plan to supply munitions to Ukraine over a month ago, have not yet been able to agree on joint purchases. France blocked the green light by insisting on a “Buy European” clause. “The EU’s inability to implement its decision on the joint procurement of munitions for Ukraine is frustrating,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba protested on Thursday.
Austin arrived at US Air Force Base Ramstein, Germany with yet another US aid package, this time $325 million, which includes ammunition for the Himars and 155mm and 105mm howitzers for the artillery. America has “provided more than $35 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began,” Austin recalled. The defense secretary praised some partners for their generosity. In his speech he also mentioned the fact that “the EU recently announced an important initiative to increase the industrial production of ammunition”.
It is the plan to supply one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine and replenish European stocks, on which the twenty-seven reached a political agreement on March 20. The first part of the plan – the transfer of existing stocks to Kyiv with EU funding of one billion euros – has effectively been launched. The high representative, Josep Borrell, assured that “over 600 million ammunition and missiles have already been delivered”. But the second part of the plan – joint purchases through the European Defense Agency or groups of countries with EU funding of another €1 billion – it is blocked. The March 20 agreement provides that purchases are made from the “European Defense Industry”.
At the origin of the stalemate is Francewho insisted on a very narrow interpretation of what should be considered “European”. Paris has asked to exclude not only American, Swiss, British or Korean industry, but also those who do not have 100 percent of the supply chain in the EU. Kuleba used a very French argument to criticize the delay: strategic autonomy. “This is a test to verify if the EU has strategic autonomy in making new crucial decisions on security”. French diplomats denounce a “French bashing” campaign by Poland and other eastern countries. They defend themselves by arguing that they have no interest, because the companies that produce ammunition are not French. They explain that their only goal is to strengthen the capabilities of European industry for the security of the continent, including Ukraine. Yet the argument does not convince others. “France has a tendency to present its arguments as everyone’s interest. But usually everyone’s interest is decided by everyone”, explains a European diplomat.
For reasons of urgency, most of the other countries would have preferred to be able to buy ammunition also outside the EU, or at least to be able to turn to foreign ammunition producers with factories in the EU. Paris contested any extra-European presence: from the shareholding to the supply chain. “Not being able to buy gunpowder in South Africa is absurd,” says a second source. The compromise provides for production or assembly in the EU by European companies, but keeping the supply chain open. An agreement could arrive after the meeting of foreign ministries on Monday. But – as the diplomat explains – due to delays “in a while the Ukrainian counter-offensive will turn into autumn”.