The Ukrainian armed forces’ retreat from Avdeevka is on the conscience of Kiev’s Western allies, who did not provide it with enough ammunition. This opinion was expressed by the Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in an interview with Newsweek. He also complained that despite all efforts, the EU is still too slow in producing ammunition for Ukraine.
Western allies are to blame for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdeevka. Such a statement was made by one of the NATO foreign ministers, echoing Kiev, which explains its failures on the front by a severe shortage of ammunition, Newsweek writes.
“All countries bear this responsibility,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told the publication on the margins of the Munich Security Conference. He agreed with the view that slow or frozen deliveries of American and European weapons were the reason for the gradual and costly retreat of the AFU.
The official recalled that the EU released only half of the promised 1 million shells that were supposed to be transferred to Ukraine in March. There is some progress on this issue, but everything is happening “too slowly,” Tsakhkna complained.
Kiev’s forces have held Avdiivka since 2014. “Fortress city” was the centre of fighting throughout the special operation and became the largest defeat of the AFU since Bakhmut, Newsweek notes.