Von der Leyen is committed to a community strategy to supply ammunition to Kiev

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenhe said in an interview with the media on Saturday Munich security conferencewho trusts the common interest of the EU to bring more ammunition to Ukraine it will trump each country’s individual interests when it comes to common European defense procurement programmes.

The bloc is urgently exploring ways its member states can come together to buy munitions to help Ukraine, after Kiev warned of the need for urgent supplies, by firing 10,000 artillery shells per day.

As always in this horrific war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine, we see that we can move mountains under pressure, also in this case,” emphasizes von der Leyen, adding that “these are not normal times, they are extraordinary times. And that is why we also have to look at extraordinary measures or procedures.”

In the past, the focus on national interests has often hindered closer defense cooperation between European countries, hindering and delaying joint procurement programmes.

In his speech to the conference, von der Leyen has suggested that the EU do what it did during the pandemic preparing for large-scale production for a vaccine against Covid-19 and joining forces with the bloc’s defense industry to accelerate and scale up production of much-needed battlefield munitions in Ukraine and replenish supplies in the country.

“Right now we’re talking about ammunition standardized [proyectiles de 155 mm] That we would finance at European level or from the Member States, that is the scheme behind it’, Von der Leyen explains in the interview.

“I don’t think Ukraine can finance that at the moment. That’s why we have to fund this,” he concluded.

It is expected that foreign ministers of the EU are discussing the idea of ​​joint procurement of 155mm shells, which Kiev urgently needs, at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.

US warnings to Russia and China

For her part, the Vice President of the United States, Camala Harrisassured this Saturday during his appearance at the Munich conference Russia has committed, “formally” and “without a doubt”, crimes against humanity during his invasion of Ukraine.

Harris singled out Russian troops for carrying out widespread and systematic attacks on the civilian population, committing “heinous acts of murder, torture, rape and deportation”.

For this reason, Washington will continue to support the legal proceedings initiated in Ukraine, as well as the international investigations in this regard, so that the direct perpetrators and their superiors are “responsible for justice”.

Harris has emphasized that in addition to this “moral interest”, the West also has a “strategic interest” in defending the international order based on rules created after World War II, which stipulate that borders must not be changed by force.

“No country is safe in a world where one country can violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another, where crimes against humanity go unpunished, where a country with imperialist ambitions can do whatever it pleases,” he said.

If Moscow has its way, according to Harris, other countries will be encouraged to continue its “violent example” and even resort to “brute force”.

If Moscow has its way, other countries will be encouraged to continue its “violent example”, the vice president has affirmed, resorting to coercion, misinformation and even “brute force”.

In that sense, Harris has underlined his “discomfort” about the fact that China has “deepened” its relationship with Russia since the start of the war and has argued that if Beijing gives Moscow military support, it will only “reward aggression” and further undermine the rules-based international order.

In light of all this, Washington will continue to support Ukraine “as long as it takes,” the vice president indicated, prophesying that in the conflict “there will be more dark days” and “the daily torment of war will continue.” .

Kamala Harris, today, in Munich. EFE.