An effort to help solve Ukraine's ammunition shortage problem has received a much-needed boost from a European ally.
Portugal's Ministry of National Defense announced on Friday that Lisbon was joining a Czech-led effort to deliver over 800,000 artillery shells to Ukraine as the war-torn country continues its attempt to fend off Russian forces more than two years after being invaded.
Ukraine has suffered a series of recent setbacks on the battlefield due in part to a massive deficit in artillery ammunition when compared to Russia. A European diplomatic official told Newsweek earlier this month that the discrepancy was "the greatest acute danger" Ukraine is facing.
The Portuguese defense ministry said in a statement on Friday that it was "vital and urgent for Ukraine to obtain additional munitions to respond to Russia's continued and more intense attacks," stressing the need for additional 155mm artillery shells in particular.
Portugal is pledging €100 million, or about $109 million, to the Czech-led ammunition effort, which the ministry said would help defend "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Ukrainian military via email on Friday.
The European Union (EU) and its constituent countries have recently been increasing aid to Ukraine while a $60 billion U.S. aid package requested by President Joe Biden remains held up in Congress amid partisan gridlock.
In addition to Portugal, European allies including Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have contributed funds to the Czech ammunition program. Czech President Petr Pavel said last week that enough funding had been gathered to purchase 300,000 rounds so far.
Earlier this week, Czech national security adviser Tomáš Pojar said that the ammunition would be delivered to Ukraine from "June onwards," according to Euractiv. Deliveries are expected to last for approximately one year.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov recently lamented that half of the military aid promised by Kyiv's Western allies were "not delivered on time," further compounding the nation's battlefield woes.
While the Czech-led program is relying on the purchase of ammunition from outside Europe, EU officials announced an initiative on March 5 to increase the production of weapons in Europe and reduce the continent's reliance upon U.S.-made arms.
The Biden administration has been by far the largest contributor of weapons to Ukraine over the course of the war. Washington has provided more than 2 million rounds of 155 mm artillery shells to Kyiv since the war began on February 24, 2022.
The U.S. Army announced earlier this year that it plans to double monthly production of ammunition by the fall, with the goal of supplying both Ukraine and the American military. The Army hopes to achieve a production rate of 100,000 shells per month by October 2025.
On Tuesday, the Department of Defense announced that it was sending Ukraine a $300 million stop-gap military aid package without the need for congressional approval, using surplus funds taken from defense contracts that came in under budget.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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