Portugal will contribute 100 million euros to the purchase of large-caliber artillery ammunition for Ukraine, which “desperately needs it” to resist Russian aggression, the defense minister said today.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, Minister Helena Carreiras detailed the decision taken the day before by the Council of Ministers to support Ukraine with 100 million euros for large-caliber artillery ammunition, a joint procurement program led by Czechia and joined by several European countries.
“The timing of this initiative has to do with the need for Ukraine, which desperately needs ammunition to continue its resistance against Russia’s illegal invasion,” he said, considering that this contribution is part of a “process of continued support for Ukraine”.
According to the defense minister, it’s not a question of supporting “an aggression with arms and ammunition”, but of “supporting the resistance to an aggression” that Russia is waging against Ukraine.
“Those who support self-defense, the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity don’t scale, those who attack and invade do,” he said.
According to Helena Carreiras, this support of 100 million euros, which aims to “quickly deliver 155mm ammunition to Ukraine”, complements the humanitarian, financial and military efforts that have been made.
“Right now there is an imperative need to support Ukraine with ammunition, it’s what they need most. There is also a growing European awareness that we are at a critical moment,” he explained.
According to the minister, this initiative, which started in Czechia, was initially supported by the Netherlands and Denmark and has now been extended to “more than a dozen and a half countries”, makes it possible to “identify ammunition of this caliber in third country markets”, since “there is a shortage of this type in Europe”.
“That’s what’s being purchased at the moment, to be delivered quickly to Ukraine: artillery ammunition to meet the needs that are currently being felt on the battlefield to resist Russian aggression,” he said.
The defense minister quoted NATO’s secretary general as saying recently that “Ukraine doesn’t need courage, it has too much, it needs ammunition”.
“We have to help Ukraine because it’s about defending ourselves too. Ukraine is fighting for the security of Europe too and it is in this sense that we can only strengthen our support and show solidarity with Ukraine,” he said.