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More than a third of the 500,000 rounds of ammunition that should be sent to Ukraine as part of the Czech initiative by the end of the year have already been delivered to the country.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the Czech Republic Vasyl Zvarych said this in an interview with the Czech news agency CTK, Ukrinform reports.
Zvarych noted that Ukrainian soldiers primarily need 155mm ammunition.
“This has a positive effect on strengthening our defense capabilities,” he said.
According to the ambassador, Ukraine is holding talks with the Czech Defense Ministry to expand the initiative. He also stressed that he had no information about any problems with the delivery of ammunition, as recently reported by the German newspaper Handelsblatt.
The diplomat suggested that the news story was an attempt to discredit the initiative and emphasized that the initiative is actually effective and has room for development. He also expressed hope that deliveries would continue next year as well.
The initiative is also intended to become a tool for investment in Ukrainian domestic ammunition production.
“Ukraine has increased its capabilities, but we need some financial resources to develop them more and have the ability to produce smaller caliber ammunition,” he said, adding that Ukraine is also discussing this issue with the Czech Defense Ministry.
Zvarych also emphasized that Ukraine should not be limited in using the supplied weapons to attack military targets inside Russia. This, in his opinion, is in the interests of all free countries, including the United States. He is convinced that the lifting of these restrictions is a matter of time, because everyone understands that without it, the war will continue, and Putin will have the opportunity to escalate the situation.
“We must do everything to limit Russia’s military potential. […] We are subjected to missile and drone strikes every day. We know which parts of Russia they are coming from. We know the specific locations of airbases, warehouses, and logistics centers,” the ambassador said, adding that unlike Russia, Ukraine will thus avoid casualties among the civilian population.
“I am sure that it is also in the interests of the United States to end the war as soon as possible. But it must be ended in line with the UN Charter and international law, which means that Russia should be pushed to a just and durable peace not on Putin’s terms, but on the terms of the free world, democratic countries. […] I want to emphasize that the only thing that can stop Putin is our unity, strength, and determination,” Zvarych said.
As of late August 2024, 15 countries had joined the Czech initiative aimed at finding artillery ammunition for Ukraine in countries outside the EU.
Read also: Europe should be ready for military standoff with Russia in six to eight years – MEPs
