Title: Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Ukraine Received 300,000 Shells from One Million Promised by the EU

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on Wednesday during a NATO meeting in Brussels that the European Union has delivered approximately 300,000 shells out of the one million promised to Ukraine so far. Kuleba urged for more coordination between the defense industries in Ukraine and NATO to ensure that Kyiv receives the supplies it needs to defeat Russia, which began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He said, "We need to create a common Atlantic European space for defense industries," adding that this would guarantee the security of Ukraine and the security of NATO countries themselves. In recent months, Kyiv has been working on a coordinated campaign to attract major global arms manufacturers to start operations in Ukraine as part of an effort to diversify its reliance on weapons and ammunition provided by its allies. Kuleba also mentioned that he held a "productive" meeting on Tuesday with Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár. Newly elected Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has pledged to halt military aid to Ukraine but clarified that he would not prevent arms purchases from private companies.