EU to provide Ukraine with over 1 million shells over 2025, allocate over $2 billion for military aid from Russian frozen assets
The news comes as delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv to discuss the establishment of a special tribunal against the Russian leadership and new defense aid for Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha thanked the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, and EU allies for the initiative to provide 2 million artillery rounds for Ukraine. According to Sybiha, by the end of 2025, European partners must send Ukraine at least 1.35 million shells, while work to increase this number is ongoing.
The minister also highlighted the new EU instruments for the long-term development of the European defense sector and the accelerated integration of the Ukrainian and European defense industries.
"This will strengthen European defense with our unique technologies and strengthen our defenders on the battlefield," Sybiha said.
Following the event in Lviv, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the EU has announced its intention to allocate almost 1.9 billion euro ($2.1 billion) for military support to Ukraine.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Shmyhal said.
One billion euros ($1.1 billion) of this sum will be used to purchase weapons according to the Danish model, that is, directly from Ukrainian manufacturers, by Italy, Denmark, France, and the Netherlands, Shmyhal added.
Another 600 million euros ($676 million) will be spent on artillery and ammunition, while more than 200 million euros ($226 million) will be spent on strengthening Ukraine's air defense, according to Shmyhal.
Speaking at the same event, French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that Paris will allocate profits from frozen Russian assets to the maintenance of CEASAR 155mm howitzers, of which Ukraine has received dozens since 2022.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Europe has allocated 138 billion euros ($157 billion), 23 billion euros ($26 billion) more than the U.S., according to an April 15 report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine Aid Tracker.
The U.S. still holds an edge in terms of military aid — its 65 billion euros ($74 billion) total leads Europe by 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) — but the gap is narrowing, as Washington has not allocated a new aid package since Jan. 9, still under the Biden administration.
Read also: 'The front is noisy' — for Ukraine's soldiers, Russia's Victory Day 'ceasefire' is yet another sham
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