BRUSSELS — NATO signed on Tuesday a $1.2-billion contract to make tens of hundreds of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling shares of its member international locations as they provide ammunition to Ukraine to assist it defeat Russia’s invasion.
The contract will enable for the acquisition of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition, essentially the most broadly wanted artillery shell, in line with NATO’s help and procurement company. It’s going to enable allies to backfill their arsenals and to offer Ukraine with extra ammunition.
“That is necessary to defend our personal territory, to construct up our personal shares, but additionally to proceed to help Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg instructed reporters.
“We can not enable President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine,” he added. “That will be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and harmful for all of us.”
Ukraine was firing round 4,000 to 7,000 artillery shells every day final summer time, whereas Russia was launching greater than 20,000 shells each day in its neighbor’s territory, in line with European Union estimates.
Russia’s arms business far outweighs Ukraine’s and Kyiv wants assist to match Moscow’s firepower.
However the shells won’t arrive rapidly — supply on orders takes anyplace from 24 to 36 months, the NATO company stated.
The European Union plans to supply 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine have fallen quick, with solely a few third of the goal met. Senior EU officers have stated that they now count on the European protection business to be producing round a million shells yearly by the tip of this yr.
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