Title: EU Allocates 220,000 Shells to Ukraine

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced on Tuesday that EU countries have sent 220,000 artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a program that began two months ago to intensify arms supplies to Kyiv to help it face the Russian invasion. Borrell added that EU countries also provided 1,300 missiles under the program and are aiming to supply Ukraine with a million pieces of ammunition within a year, even though some member states are hesitant about the feasibility of this goal. Borrell told reporters while announcing the figures at the conclusion of a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels, "The coming days, weeks, and months will be strategically crucial in the Ukrainian war." This marks the first time the EU has participated in funding a large-scale joint program for ammunition purchases, reflecting the growing involvement of the EU in military issues since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.