March 18, 2024
The ammunition suppliers taking part in the Czech-led initiative to provide Ukraine with artillery shells include “some allies of Russia,” the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing unnamed Czech officials.
Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside the European Union that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on March 12 that the initiative had secured the purchase of 300,000 shells and received nonbinding commitments for 200,000 more.
The Czech officials told WSJ that Prague had managed to utilize its good relations with many nations in the Global South that have large stockpiles of Soviet-era arms and the ability to produce more.
They did not specify which Russian allies were among the ammunition suppliers involved in the deal.
Similar requests by the U.S. and Western European countries to potential suppliers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were previously rejected, according to Western officials cited by the media outlet.
Around 20 countries have so far joined the Czech-led initiative to help finance the delivery of ammunition. Germany has pledged over 500 million euros ($544 million), which is the biggest commitment among the participants, the Czech officials said.
“Similar requests by the U.S. and Western European countries to potential suppliers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were previously rejected, according to Western officials cited by the media outlet.”
For a small country, the Czech Republic sure has some clout!
Ally, shmally – when there’s a good buck to be made, greed is stronger than partnerships! Putin’s oligarchs wouldn’t hesitate to betray an ally of Russia, neither. Those mafialands are all the same, no real honor among “wise guys”. 😈
If we had clever leaders in the West, which we mostly don’t have, they would play many interesting games to make friends of mafia land into dubious friends, at best. We spent hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid and get nothing in return. Even china still gets aid from Germany!!!