Due to the acute shortage of ammunition in the Ukrainian army, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called upon Europe to ban its countries from exporting ammunition to nations other than Ukraine.

"All contracts for the export of ammunition produced in Europe to third countries should be suspended and all such ammunition should be supplied to Ukraine. 

Every bullet manufactured in Europe should serve to protect Europe," Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

Kuleba emphasised that he discusses the shortage of ammunition in discussions with partners, "I complain about the lack of ammunition at every meeting with our partners. They all know about it and acknowledge their mistakes".

"They have decided too late to increase their production, sign long-term contracts and put new production lines into operation. Unfortunately, we are paying the price for these mistakes not down the line, but right now," Kuleba explained.

He also stated that efforts are being made to ensure that the ammunition currently procured by European states from third countries becomes available to Ukraine.

Following a telephone conversation with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced that the EU plans to supply Ukraine with nearly 170,000 shells by the end of March.

In March 2023, the EU reached an agreement to provide Ukraine with one million rounds of ammunition in a year but failed to reach this goal. To date, the EU has delivered 355,000 rounds, with 1.155 million planned by the end of the year.

Earlier this week, the EU diplomacy chief sent a letter to member states' foreign ministers and defence ministers, calling for everything possible to be done to provide Ukraine with ammunition.