How the EU’s Ammunition Plan for Ukraine Can Succeed

Zelenskyy says Ukraine cannot launch an effective counteroffensive without long-range munitions. The statement comes days after EU member states and Norway agreed on collaborative production of ammunition and EU’s Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton toured ammunition factories in several central European member states.

Visegrad Insight this week:

• Bohdan Bernatski asks if the recent MiG deliveries will break the taboo on long-range weapon deliveries to Ukraine.
• Michal Matlak analyses the various options for Europe’s long-term Russia policy.
• New Report. The launch of the Digital Three Seas Initiative report on Wednesday, 29 March.
• Event in Bratislava: How Global Challenges to Business Affect Decision-making in CEE (on 29 March in partnership with CIPE and SAPIE).

EU/REGIONAL

• Combustion engine. On 27 March, EU ambassadors will review the deal struck between Berlin and Brussels over the weekend, allowing for the use of combustion engines running on “e-fuels” past the current 2035 date.  
• Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition. An agreement under the European Defence Agency (EDA) project arrangement for the procurement of ammunition was signed by twenty-three EU member states and Norway. The project opens the way to proceed along a two-year, fast-track procedure for 155 mm artillery rounds and a seven-year project to acquire multiple ammunition types.
• Russia says it will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a move seen in the West as yet another attempt at intimidation. Interestingly, the announcement seems to contradict the Russia-China statement from last week on the non-proliferation of nuclear arms.
• Nordic air force. In a joint declaration, four Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, agree to operate their air force as one fleet. Combined, the four countries have some 250 fighter jets at their disposal.
• China and Russia made progress but did not conclude all agreements worth $165 billion during Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow. (Read Visegrad Insight’s commentary on the visit here.)
• EU’s Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 28 March. The meeting will address a general approach on the gas and hydrogen package and a political agreement on a one-year extension of the voluntary reduction of natural gas demand by 15 per cent ahead of the next winter. A first policy debate on the EU electricity market design revision will also be held.
• Multi-elections day on 2 April, as Bulgarians, Finns and Montenegrins vote.

Waiting for allied ammunition supplies 

UKRAINE