Politico: EU seeks non-member states to take part in joint military procurement scheme for Ukraine
European Union member states are reportedly looking for other countries outside the bloc to provide ammunition to Ukraine, according to an undisclosed EU top official and two diplomats quoted by Politico on March 4.
The proposal would have countries pool financial contributions into the European Peace Facility, a collective fund, to negotiate centralized ammunition procurement contracts directly with defense industry enterprises.
Norway and Canada could take part in the buying scheme, according to Politico’s sources. The more countries taking part, the easier it will be to find the money and negotiate bigger contracts, the article said.
The first step of the proposed program is to dedicate at least 1 billion euros to buy 155mm artillery shells for Ukrainian artillery, a consistent priority for Ukraine's armed forces.
The fund has so far been used to reimburse countries for their weapons donations to Ukraine. The EU has paid countries 3.6 billion euros to partially cover the costs of their military aid.
