EU Leaders to Approve Increased Military Support for Ukraine with Ammunition Deal

The EU's plan to jointly procure ammunition for Ukraine and ramp up European defense industries is a crucial test for the credibility of common European defense efforts, but some EU members are unsure if Brussels is up to the job. The EU has agreed to spend €1 billion to transfer more of its members' existing munitions stocks to Kyiv and another billion to jointly order the most frequently used 155-millimeter NATO standard artillery shells from European industry. However, the devil is in the detail, and there are concerns about harmonizing military requirements, navigating a complex supply chain, and managing such complex contracts.