EU urges members to offer stockpiles, contracts to Ukraine

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is urging member countries to provide more ammunition to Ukraine from their stockpiles and from orders they might have already placed with the defense industry. According to some estimates, Ukraine is firing up to 6,000-7,000 artillery shells daily, around a third of the number of rounds that Russia is using. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that he has written to the bloc’s 27 defense ministers urging them to “give Ukraine priority” on weapons and ammunition. NATO wants to speed things up. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says “we have agreed that NATO should assist Ukraine to develop a procurement system that is effective, transparent and accountable.”