EU officials have expressed hope that the bloc's 27 defence ministers will confirm their readiness to top up the fund used to purchase weapons for Ukraine by €3.5 billion ($3.7 billion).
The ministers will meet in Brussels on a Monday, at a time that Ukraine is facing the “most dangerous” phase of the war with Russia, the officials said.
“We would like to get […] the green light to prepare for such a possible decision,” said a senior EU official. “It will require more detailed discussions at a technical level. It’s not a modest sum of money.”
Another said that it was “crucial” to send ammunitions because Ukraine had entered “the most dangerous phase since the start of the conflict”.
They highlighted the need to shore up Ukraine's frontline resistance in the face of a “massive Russian surge with more than 300,000 fighters”.
Fighting is now concentrated in the eastern Donetsk enclave of Ukraine, particularly in the city of Bakhmut.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise trip to Mariupol on Sunday, his first visit to territory captured from Ukraine since Moscow's offensive began last year.
EU countries have depleted their weapons to help Ukraine, which currently needs about half a million shells a month but only uses a fraction of that amount due to insufficient stocks.
A third senior EU official said that the continent's industry needed to adapt to a “war economy”.
“There is a big discrepancy between what was considered business as usual in peace times, before the return of high intensity combat at the borders of Europe, and what we need today. So, we need to fix that big gap,” the official said.
News website Politico reported that EU ambassadors reached a preliminary deal on Sunday to supply Kyiv with a million 155mm shells over the next year.
Europe's defence ministers are expected to discuss a three-way approach to hasten joint purchases of artillery ammunition within the bloc — a plan put forward earlier this month by the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell.
The proposal includes the allocation of €1 billion ($1.07 billion) towards the partial reimbursement of the immediate delivery to Ukraine of ammunition — either of western or Soviet standard — from national stocks or pending orders.
It also calls for the allocation of another €1 billion for the reimbursement of ammunition bought either by the European Defence Agency or by an EU country on behalf of three others from the European defence industry.
Finally, the plan highlights the need to hasten the production of 155mm ammunition in 15 factories in 11 EU countries.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has embarked on a tour of European factories to assess their capabilities, including a visit to Serbia last week.
Mr Breton said Europe’s defence productivity could increase by 17 per cent this year.
“The current European production base is at maximum production capacity because we have all the orders placed by member states,” a senior EU official said.
“Prices are spiralling and average production time is quite long: It takes around one year to get a shell delivered. This is, of course, concerning.”
The EU hopes that the first joint orders for ammunitions from the 15 factories will be made by the end of May.
“We’ll have to negotiate quantities, price and delivery time — a bit like we did during Covid [for vaccines],” a senior EU official said.
“The aim is to reduce delivery times., thanks to large orders. What we want is economies of scale.”
So far, the EU has committed €13 billion of military support for Ukraine through institutions in the bloc and on a bilateral basis.
PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
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Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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