The required funds have been collected to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine from countries outside the European Union, Czech President Petr Pavel announced on 7 March, as reported by Ceske Noviny.
The initiative comes as a response to the EU’s failure to meet its pledge of providing Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery by this month while Russia continues to produce more ammunition and receive support from North Korea.
Speaking to journalists during his visit to the Central Bohemian Region, Pavel stated that the aid, initiated by the Czech Republic, has garnered the support of an additional 18 countries. The munitions are expected to be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
Earlier, Belgium announced the allocation of €200 million to the initiative, while the Netherlands pledged €250 million and Norway $153 million. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and French President Emmanuel Macron also announced their countries’ decision to join the initiative but did not disclose the future contribution amount.
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