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Sikorski: Poland to rectify delay in supporting Czech shell initiative for Ukraine

As Poland remains the only country yet to contribute to a Czech initiative for purchasing artillery shells for Ukraine, its FM Sikorski explains the delay, citing a responsible official’s arrest, and pledges 100 million euros in support over two years.

byYuri Zoria

14/09/2024

2 minute read

sikorski poland rectify delay supporting czech shell initiative ukraine foreign minister radosław eastnewsua radoslaw

Foreign Minister of Poland Radosław Sikorski. Photo via Eastnews.ua.

Sikorski: Poland to rectify delay in supporting Czech shell initiative for Ukraine

Gazeta Wyborcza says Poland has been the only country that has pledged but not yet allocated funds for purchasing artillery shells for Ukraine as part of a Czech initiative. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski acknowledged this delay and promised to rectify the situation soon, Liga reports.

The Czech ammunition initiative sources artillery ammunition from countries outside the European Union. About 20 countries fund the effort, aiming to deliver 500,000 shells to Ukraine by the end of the year. The first shipment, consisting of approximately 50,000 shells, was delivered to Ukraine earlier this summer. Also, Czechia launched a second project, Initiative-2025, to purchase ammunition for Ukraine from five Czech arms companies.

During a press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on 13 September, Sikorski addressed this issue. According to him, the delay in Poland’s payment to the fund for purchasing ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine was due to the arrest of the official responsible for this task.

This role was performed by Michał Kuczmierowski, the former head of Poland’s Government Strategic Reserves Agency. He was arrested in London on a Polish warrant due to accusations of corruption crimes.

The Polish minister promised to allocate 100 million euros for the purchase of shells for Ukraine, with the first half to be provided this year, with the remainder to follow in 2025, per Liga.

According to Wyborcza’s report, as of August 2024, about eighteen countries had joined the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, contributing various amounts. Germany provided the largest financial support and was among the earliest to do so. Poland remained the only country that had publicly declared its intention to contribute but had not yet sent funds or entered into an agreement.

Czech leaders developed the initiative several months ago amid uncertainty about the ability of European and American manufacturers to increase ammunition production, and Ukraine did not have assured supplies from the United States. Ukraine faced a severe shell shortage on the frontlines, losing ground while being heavily outgunned by Russian forces.

The initiative operates on a system where donor countries can choose what they want to finance from a confidential spreadsheet. Donors either transfer money directly to the Czech state, which then purchases the necessary goods from companies and sends them as donations to Ukraine, or they buy the products directly, with the Czech state handling the donation to Kyiv, Wyborcza says.

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