BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥 NATO signed on Tuesday a $1.2-billion contract to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling stocks of its member countries as they supply ammunition to Ukraine to help it defeat Russia's invasion.
The contract will allow for the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition, the most widely sought after artillery shell, according to NATO鈥檚 support and procurement agency. It will allow and to provide Ukraine with more ammunition.
鈥淭his is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine,鈥 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.
鈥淲e cannot allow President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine," he added. "That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.鈥
Ukraine was firing around 4,000 to 7,000 artillery shells each day last summer, while Russia was launching more than 20,000 shells daily in its neighbor鈥檚 territory, according to European Union estimates.
Russia鈥檚 arms industry far outweighs Ukraine鈥檚 and Kyiv needs help to match Moscow鈥檚 firepower.
But the shells will not arrive quickly 鈥 delivery on orders takes anywhere from 24 to 36 months, the NATO agency said.
The European Union plans to produce 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine have fallen short, with only about a third of the target met. Senior EU officials have said that they now expect the European defense industry to be producing around one million shells annually by the end of this year.
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