EU agrees billion-euro ammunition deal for Ukraine, Germany allows Poland to send jets

On Thursday, EU member states agreed on a measure to quickly release 1 billion euros to supply ammunition to Ukraine. This is the implementation of the first part of the agreement struck by foreign and defence ministers on 20 March.

The money is to reimburse countries that send ammunition from stockpiles to Ukraine or redirect ongoing orders to the country. It covers deliveries between 9 February and 31 May.

The second part of the agreement, also worth 1 billion euros, is for the joint purchase of ammunition with delivery within six to eight months. The third component will increase the production capacity of European arms factories to restore national stocks and continue supplying Ukrainian troops.

East German jets

Meanwhile, the German Defence ministry says it has authorised Poland to supply five MiG-29 fighter jets from former East German stocks to Ukraine. Germany had originally passed on the Soviet-designed fighter jets to Poland in 2004. After the invasion, Warsaw asked Berlin whether Ukraine could use them in the fight against the Russians.

Poland is one of the most outspoken advocates of supplying military equipment to Ukraine. President Duda said this month that Poland would eventually hand over its entire fleet of just under 30 aircraft to its neighbour. Since the Ukrainian military uses the same type of fighter aircraft, the jets could be deployed immediately.

^{© PHOTO ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP}