Lithuania will join the Czech-led international initiative to procure and send ammunition to Ukraine, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has said.
“This initiative holds significant importance, particularly in the current context where the flow of ammunition has slowed down,” Šimonytė said in a press release after a telephone conversation with her Czech counterpart Petr Fiala on Monday.
“Lithuania will continue to support all formats of assistance that would increase Ukraine’s capacity to effectively fend off Russian aggression, thereby safeguarding the freedom of all of Europe,” she added.
Under this initiative, countries participate in the joint procurement and transfer of ammunition to Ukraine, identifying potential ammunition stocks or sources of rapid production for acquisition, according to the press release.
The Czech Republic said in late February that it had international backing, including from Canada and Denmark, to finance a fast purchase of hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third countries for Ukraine.
This initiative comes as the European Union failed to fulfil its promise to send Ukraine 1 million rounds of artillery shells by March 1.
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