The American Politico writes, citing sources in diplomatic circles, that a conflict has arisen in the EU between Poland and France over the supply of ammunition to Ukraine.
According to the publication, the countries cannot agree on who should receive contracts for the production of shells: only local companies or competitors from other countries.
According to Politico, the main problem is how much money should be allocated to EU manufacturers and how much to manufacturers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
France, according to sources, insists that the money should remain within the EU, but its partners do not like this.
According to Politico, the conflict between the representatives of Poland and France became public, and Sweden (which holds the EU presidency) intervened and offered a compromise.
According to Stockholm's plan, future contracts should be awarded only to producers from the EU and Norway, but this scheme should not be a precedent, meaning it can be changed in the future.
On Wednesday evening, EU officials admitted that they had failed to reach an agreement that day, Politico reports.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed dissatisfaction with the EU's inability to implement its own decision to jointly organize the supply of ammunition to Kyiv.
"This is a test of whether the EU has strategic autonomy in making new and crucial security decisions," the foreign minister wrote. "For Ukraine, the price of inaction is measured in human lives.
Background. At the end of March, the EU agreed on a plan to supply Ukraine with €2 billion worth of ammunition. It is planned that Kyiv will receive one million rounds of ammunition within a year, including 155 mm caliber, which is used in Western weapons.