The EU vowed to get artillery rounds ready for supply to Kyiv by March 2024. Thierry Breton said Brussels’ target has been reached — even though all ammo hasn’t yet been delivered.

BRUSSELS — When it comes to building out Europe’s artillery capacity to help Ukraine, the European Commission says its job is done.

The EU executive’s de facto defense commissioner, Thierry Breton, pledged last year to get a million rounds of ammunition ready for supply to Ukraine by the close of March 2024, and while actual deliveries to Kyiv are way below that figure, he now says that manufacturing capacity has hit the magic number.

“We are already at this level today, in other words — we are two months ahead of schedule in our capacity to produce more ammunition in Europe, of course for Ukraine but also for our own security,” Breton said Wednesday on the sidelines of a defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

Western allies have backed Ukraine with billions of euros worth of defense equipment over the last two years, as Kyiv continues to fend off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out war.

The French commissioner said EU ammunition production capacity should hit 1.4 million rounds in 2024 before rising to 2 million rounds in 2025.

“We increase significantly since last February the capacity of production of ammunition in Europe, close to 50 percent of what it was,” Breton said.

On the subject of how many rounds are heading to Ukraine, Breton said that was up to member countries — passing the issue over to the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell.

“I’m just talking about the industrial base,” said Breton.

The EU’s Act in Support of Ammunition Production has made €500 million available for countries wanting to build out manufacturing capacity, with Breton saying Wednesday that the plan was to review 82 projects with “between 20 to 30” to be picked for subsidies in the next few weeks.

https://www.politico.eu/article/commission-declares-victory-in-million-artillery-round-mission/