Amid a critical shortage of artillery shells in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, France, Greece and Cyprus blocked the possibility of purchasing ammunition outside the European Union.
This is reported by Politico.
It is noted that the possibility of purchasing shells for Ukraine outside the bloc was discussed at the last meeting of the EU Political and Security Committee (PSC). Most EU member states supported this proposal due to the critical shortage of ammunition in the Ukrainian army. But France, along with Greece and Cyprus, opposed this "emergency measure," arguing that "European arms manufacturers need orders to justify increased production."
At the same time, it is noted that at the end of January, a senior official assured that France would not object to the purchase of shells outside the bloc if the EU failed to provide one million shells for Ukraine by March. According to the newspaper, Europe will not be able to fulfill this obligation within the stated timeframe.
Earlier, Apostrophe reported that no shortage of shells is expected for Ukraine's Air Defense systems.