“In no case will our own reserves be completely distributed. NATO has certain standards that are necessary for the implementation of defense plans. In any case, NATO countries must store these reserves in their warehouses; they cannot be given away,” ERR quotes the diplomat.
Currently, NATO lacks the part of the shells that should be produced and transferred to Ukraine, he added.
“We also buy ammunition from third countries. Large ammunition producers - for example, South Korea, even South Africa, but these countries do not allow the transfer of their ammunition to Ukraine. Therefore, these ammunition can be used by EU countries to fill this gap, and ammunition produced in Europe will be transferred to Ukraine,” Luik explained.
The American newspaper The New York Times previously reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, due to a lack of people and ammunition, “gave the initiative” to Russian forces.