Czechia to extend ammunition initiative for Ukraine into 2025, Czech Foreign Minister
Photo: Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (Getty Images)
Czechia has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Prague will fulfill its promise to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 500,000 large-caliber ammunition rounds by the end of 2024.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has made such a statement in an interview with the Ukrainian media European Pravda.
"This year, we promised that, with sufficient international support, we would procure and deliver 500,000 large-caliber ammunition rounds to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. We will fulfill this promise. I can guarantee that we will ensure this by the end of the year," Lipavský said.
According to the Czech Foreign Minister, although the exact number of rounds already delivered is unknown, the initiative's experts are confident the targets will be met.
Lipavský highlighted that the Czech ammunition initiative, which facilitates the delivery of rounds sourced from stockpiles worldwide, has gained international recognition. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, along with the Prime Ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands, agreed to extend this program into 2025.
"Clearly, Ukraine will continue to need ammunition next year. Therefore, we must keep going," Lipavský emphasized.
As the Czech Foreign Minister noted, deliveries are being sourced not only from military depots in Europe but also from other parts of the world. A significant portion of the ammunition is refurbished to ensure its reliability before shipment.
'We've located ammunition stockpiles across the globe and are purchasing them. Some of these rounds are being restored to ensure they are operational before we send them to Ukraine," Lipavský explained.
Czechia has already reserved a substantial amount of ammunition to be purchased for Ukraine's needs in 2025. However, Lipavský stressed that to secure long-term supplies, countries must boost ammunition production, as existing stockpiles may not be enough.
"Ukraine is already doing this, but many other nations need to follow their example. Still, for 2025, we have identified a large quantity of ready-made ammunition globally that can be procured for Ukraine," the Czech Foreign Minister underlined.
Czech ammunition initiative
This year, Czechia has supplied Ukraine with a significant amount of ammunition, including through purchases from non-EU countries. Financial support from international partners has made the implementation of this project possible.
In June, Ukraine received its first batch of ammunition under this initiative.
Later, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Czechia will supply Ukraine with about 500,000 pieces of ammunition by the end of 2024 as part of its initiative.
