The European Union is not reaching its goal of delivering one million cannonballs to Ukraine by next spring.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius confirmed the matter on Tuesday morning before the meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.
In March, the EU decided to deliver one million 155 millimeter projectiles to Ukraine before the end of March next year. However, the EU countries have only been able to deliver about 300,000 ammunition to Ukraine.
Researcher: There is a lack of political will
Leading researcher at the Foreign Policy Institute Charly Salonius-Pasternak considers the situation a big failure for the EU.
– For the EU, this is a big humiliation and a disaster, Salonius-Pasternak says in a telephone interview with .
According to Salonius-Pasternak, the failure is mainly due to the fact that different EU countries, such as France and Germany, are pulling the trigger on industrial policy.
– Even if you have industrial ability, politically you are not capable of any kind of compromise without staring at your own navel.
According to the researcher, the war in Ukraine swallows thousands or even tens of thousands of artillery shells every day. The figures have surprised European decision-makers.
– There is no generation of politicians or even soldiers in Europe that is used to thinking in these volumes, Salonius-Pasternak says.
Ukrainian counterattacks are getting harder
According to the researcher, Europe’s inability is bad news for Ukraine. Artillery is needed especially in offensive operations.
– It makes any kind of counterattack, which would liberate more Ukraine, even more difficult, says Salonius-Pasternak.
Shortages in ammunition deliveries will affect Ukraine’s plans for next year at the latest. In the short term, the effect depends, according to the researcher, on how much ammunition Ukraine has saved in case of such surprises.
At the same time, Russia’s ammunition situation has improved. According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea has delivered up to a million cannonballs to Russia.
Researcher: Finland needs its own ammunition production
According to Salonius-Pasternak, Europe’s failure also affects Finland.
In the future, it will be even more important that Finland fills its own ammunition stocks. In a crisis situation, you cannot rely on European ammunition production.
– Our own national ability to produce ammunition is of central importance, Salonius-Pasternak said.
According to the researcher, it is also good for Finland to maintain relations with the United States, which has better capabilities than Europe to produce and deliver ammunition.
Even if Europe failed now, the defense industry should be further developed in Salonius-Pasternak’s opinion.
– Even if the war ends the day after tomorrow, Europe’s need to build its own defense capability will not decrease, but on the contrary will increase.
Häkkänen: The possibilities are there
Minister of Defense who participated in the meeting in Brussels Antti Häkkänen (co.) admits that the delivery of a million artillery shells to Ukraine is challenging for the EU.
According to him, it is important to send a message to the European defense industry that production must be increased.
– We need concrete contracts, long-term commitments, extensive orders and trust in the defense industry.
According to Häkkänen, the seriousness of the situation is also recognized in large member states such as Germany.
– All countries have actually become serious about this issue, when it is known that Russia has been able to increase its own production capacity significantly.
Häkkänen believes that ammunition production can still be increased significantly. According to him, it is not impossible to reach the goal of one million ammunition by the March deadline.
– If the entire capacity can be fully utilized, then the possibilities are there. But it still requires significant additional decisions and measures, he states.
According to Häkkänen, Finland has the readiness to make decisions to increase ammunition production in order to achieve the EU’s goals.
Corrected at 17:17: Pistorius is the Minister of Defense, not the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The EU defense ministers will meet on Tuesday, the foreign ministers already met on Monday.
6:29 p.m.: The article has been updated with Minister Häkkänen’s comment.
18:54: The goal of one million cannonballs was set in the spring of 2023, not last year.