Russian invasion The world's response

Nine countries have stopped buying ammunition for Ukraine

The Czech-led coalition to buy ammunition for Ukraine has been halved this year, Czech President Petr Pavel tells the Financial Times.

Only nine countries are now funding the initiative, compared to 18 last year. It is not clear which countries this is, but a military source says that Germany and some Nordic countries are still contributing.

- This initiative has provided Ukraine with up to 50 percent of its large-caliber ammunition, so it cannot be easily replaced by something else, says Pavel.

The project has sent four million artillery shells to Ukraine since 2024. Countries began to pull out last winter when right-wing populist Andrej Babis was re-elected as Czech Prime Minister.

Babis was close to ending the initiative, but backed down after pressure from allies. Several countries no longer want to support the Czech project when even the country's ruling politicians do not do so, according to the FT's source.

EU defense chief: Stop building customized luxury missiles

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius is urging member states to increase weapons production and stop "haute couture" manufacturing. In an interview with the Financial Times, the former Lithuanian prime minister warns that the Union is falling behind Russia and Ukraine in the production of missiles.

- Technologically very sophisticated, very advanced, very expensive and impossible to quickly expand, he states.

Instead, EU countries should increase volumes and be inspired by the Ukrainians who produce what European industry calls "good enough".