Brussels – The European Union is actively supporting Ukraine and must continue to provide robust assistance while prioritizing defense innovations and research. In a recent interview with ČTK, Jiří Šedivý, the Executive Director of the European Defense Agency (EDA) and a prominent Czech official in Brussels, emphasized that EU member states should award contracts to the European defense sector, as there are untapped production capabilities available.
Šedivý pointed out that the EU and its member states were pioneers in supplying weapons to Ukraine. “We have allocated approximately 150 billion euros in total support, surpassing the contributions made by the United States,” he noted. He mentioned that around 50 billion euros has been directed towards military supplies, with additional funds supporting humanitarian initiatives and stabilizing Ukraine’s budget. “The EU has certainly not fallen behind; while we can always strive for more, let’s remember the six-month period when 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine was held up in the US Congress,” he added, recalling his experience as the former Czech defense minister and NATO ambassador.
Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, the EDA has played a crucial role in ammunition procurement. “Our most noticeable contribution has been in securing ammunition for Ukraine. I have signed approximately 60 framework agreements with over 20 EU defense companies regarding ammunition acquisition,” explained Šedivý. These agreements facilitated the purchase of ammunition valued at around 350 billion euros for about ten member states, with some supplies going to Ukraine and others reserved for replenishing national stockpiles. He also highlighted the establishment of a training mission, which has trained around 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers to date.
As discussions on increasing defense budgets take place among EU nations, Šedivý stressed the importance of escalating investments in the European defense industry. “We have already implemented framework contracts for 155 mm ammunition for heavy artillery, amounting to 350 million euros. We are in communication with the defense sector and are aware of unused capacities worth nearly one billion euros. If member states engaged these companies, it could significantly bolster our efforts,” he said. He added that while there are lofty political ambitions, actual implementation often lags behind.
The EDA chief underlined the critical need to sustain support for Ukraine. “If the United States were to step back, we must strive to compensate for any potential decline in aid from the US,” he asserted. He acknowledged the potential within the EU but cautioned that achieving consensus and collaborative decisions among the current 27 member states will be challenging. Ultimately, defense authority resides with the member states, each possessing veto power. (March 14)
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