EU ramps up artillery support for Ukraine amid Sumy crisis
Kaja Kallas, the head of EU diplomacy, announced that two-thirds of the initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine is already prepared. The attack on Sumy emphasizes the need to increase support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia.
EU diplomacy, under Kaja Kallas's leadership, is intensifying efforts to support Ukraine. On Monday, Kallas announced that two-thirds of the planned two million artillery shells for Ukraine are ready for delivery.
Sunday's missile attack on Sumy, which resulted in at least 34 fatalities and 117 injuries, underscored the necessity to increase support for Ukraine. Kallas noted that this attack occurred a month after the ceasefire to which Ukraine agreed. She emphasized the current situation requires maximum pressure on Russia to end the war.
"I think we have to put the pressure, the maximum pressure, on Russia to really end this war, because it takes two to want peace," Kallas said, as quoted by Sky News.
The cost of the initiative
The ammunition initiative, estimated to cost 5 billion euros (approximately 7.25 billion CAD), aims to provide Ukraine with the necessary resources to defend against aggression. Kallas expressed satisfaction with the progress of this project, highlighting its importance in the context of current events.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he needs 5 billion euros (approximately 7.8 billion CAD) to purchase at least 2 million shells. I'm glad to see that we already have different proposals or different countries are coming with their input to this, so we have already over 50% of what is needed," Kallas stated at the beginning of April.
As she noted at the time, more than half of what Ukraine needs has been collected. Kallas emphasized that the stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger its position will be at the negotiating table during peace talks.
