EU COUNTRIES VOW TO REARM AS KYIV WARNS OF RUSSIAN THREAT
▶ Moscow’s forces said to have 10 times more artillery as they look for gains before presidential poll
Czech President Petr Pavel has announced that his country is seeking European funding to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine, as officials in Kyiv call ed on neighbours to build up their military industries.
The development of a war economy in Russia to advance its invasion of Ukraine has granted Moscow an advantage it had not previously had during two years of war.
Officials from across the EU voiced frustration that the bloc had not moved quickly to mobilise its resources and rearm in the face of a threat on its borders.
Mr Pavel, a former general, told an event organised by Yalta European Strategy in Munich on Saturday that the search for weapons from outside Europe was driven by shortfalls from the Czech Republic’s own production lines.
He said Russia has been able to use its artillery – which in some areas outnumbers Kyiv’s by more than 10:1 – to conquer territory along the front line, as the Kremlin searches for success before Russia’s presidential election next month.
“President [Vladimir] Putin is now working with the direction in order to achieve some visible success before the elections,” Mr Pavel said. “So what we can do is to support Ukraine in deliveries of weapons and ammunition from all sources available.”
He said the rounds could be delivered “within weeks” if countries such as the US, Germany and Sweden agree to provide funding.
“The aim of this activity is to strengthen the Ukrainian defence so that they spare their human resources, and they cause as much aggression to Russian forces as possible, and that they hold the ground they have right now,” Mr Pavel said.
“It is important not to allow Russia to develop any significant success. Because as we know, this war is as much about real-world fighting on the battlefield, as it is about psychological warfare.”
European officials speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday urged a rapid expansion of the continent’s defence industry after the EU failed to deliver half of the promised 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine last year.
German Vice Chancellor Robert Haabeck said Berlin was about to turn a corner.
“We don’t do all that it takes,” he said. “The phrase we have used is: as long as it takes. We should do all that we can.”
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said the country would spend two per cent of its GDP on defence, and then go higher. Berlin will also set new conditions for the expansion of its defence industry.
“The state is a client and customer of the security and defence industry, but the companies still need private investments and financing,” he said.
“That’s why a second turning point is necessary, that improves the reputation and framework conditions for the industry.” Ukrainian officials have sought to move away from arguments that the country is a front line for all of Europe, and instead say each country must fight the battle.
“The era of peace in Europe is over,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Saturday.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country has sent all of its artillery stocks to Ukraine, said Kyiv was in need of air support and other tools of modern warfare.
“Ukraine cannot win a war without weapons – words are not enough,” she said. Much of the discussion was framed around the US Congress’s failure to pass a support package for Ukraine before the House of Representatives went on a recess until the end of the month.
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi said the funds will be released when the recess is over.
“There is no place for any fatigue in any of this,” she said. “We want to vote, we have the votes, over 300 members support this package.”