On Thursday, E.U. leaders will debate the Ukrainian crisis with U.N. head Antonio Guterres and approve a proposal to increase artillery munitions to Kyiv.
After renewing a U.N.-Turkey accord on the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea, Guterres will attend an E.U. meeting in Brussels.
Officials said Guterres and E.U. leaders would debate that humanitarian measure during a working lunch before the U.N. secretary-general leaves and Zelenskiy gives a video update on the fighting.
“We will, as usual, reiterate our steadfast commitment to support Ukraine,” said European Council president Charles Michel.
Foreign ministers decided on Monday to provide 1 million artillery rounds to Ukraine over the coming year by dipping into reserves and undertaking a historic joint procurement maneuver. The leaders will approve.
Zelenskiy’s administration has urged its Western friends that it urgently needs significant numbers of 155mm rounds to wage a ferocious battle of attrition with invading Russian soldiers.
Authorities warn that Ukraine is burning through shells faster than its partners can create, triggering a fresh search for ammunition and measures to enhance production.
Based on Estonia’s suggestion, Josep Borrell’s approach is the E.U.’s plan.
The plan allocates 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) to deliver shells quickly and maybe missiles from current supplies and 1 billion euros for E.U. members to buy more rounds.
The European Peace Fund, an EU-run agency, has previously given Ukraine billions of euros for military help. However, diplomats indicated summit leaders might debate a financial top-up.
Governments don’t reveal how much ammo they have remaining, which has been depleted by deliveries to Ukraine, so it’s unknown how fast the strategy may affect the battlefield.
Despite E.U. leaders’ claims of unparalleled rapidity, new cooperative procurement initiative artillery will take months. They plan to sign initial arms contracts in late May.
“We will need to take steps to improve the industrial capacity of the European defence sector,” Michel wrote to E.U. leaders, inviting them to the conference.
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