The EU is running low on weapons because it's given so many to Ukraine, top diplomat says

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The EU is running low on weapons because it's given so many to Ukraine, top diplomat says
Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 "Grad" shoots toward Russian positions at the front line in Kharkiv region, Ukraine.AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka
  • EU states have given so many weapons to Ukraine that they're running low at home, the bloc's top diplomat said.
  • Josep Borrell called on EU states to work together to restock.
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European Union member states are running low on weapons at home because they've given so many to Ukraine, the bloc's top diplomat said, renewing calls for a restock.

Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said on Monday: "The military stocks of most member states has been, I wouldn't say exhausted, but depleted in a high proportion, because we have been providing a lot of capacity to the Ukrainians," the Associated Press reported.

He added during a debate with European lawmakers that countries should buy work together to buy replacements for themselves, as that would be cheaper than each country doing it separately: "It has to be refilled. The best way of refilling is doing that together. It will be cheaper."

The EU in July proposed a $500 million fund for member states to buy weapons together in order to replenish their stockpiles.

Borrell on Monday also said that the EU should have begun training Ukrainian troops a year ago, when some member states called for it.

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"Unhappily we didn't, and today we regret. We regret that last August we were not following this request, fulfilling this request," he said.

"We would be in a better situation" if the EU had done it then, he said.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Since then, the EU has committed around $2.5 billion in weaponry to Ukraine.

Some of the weapons they are giving Ukraine are coming from existing countries' stock rather than being purpose-built. That means the equipment can arrive in Ukraine faster but also means those countries' arsenals are depleted.

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