BRUSSELS, February 1. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) has vowed to supply Ukraine with new tanks, helicopters, air defense systems and 1 mln artillery shells, with the equipment to come some time before the end of this year, and not by March as it originally promised, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference summarizing the EU summit.
The summit failed to make a decision on topping up the European Peace Facility by 5 bln euros to finance new military deliveries to the Kiev regime, something von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell were adamant about.
"Our military assistance has met an unprecedented level of effort. So far, the European Union and its member states have mobilized 28 bln euros worth of military equipment and, of course, more is coming, and, of course, more is needed. More tanks, helicopters, air defense systems, missiles, and, of course, more ammunition. The European defense industry has already increased its production capacity by 40% and this is still growing. […] So, we will be signing the contracts in a matter of weeks," she vowed.
"We will have delivered 520,000 rounds of artillery shells by March and we will more than double this amount by the end of this year," von der Leyen said, finally admitting that Brussels will fulfill its promise to supply Kiev with 1 mln shells by March 2024 only by half.