Estonia's defense minister, Kusti Salm, has warned that Ukraine is entering a difficult period in the ongoing war, which will require significant efforts. Europe must take responsibility for its own security, ERR cites Kusti Salm as saying.

Salm believes this period of severe challenges will continue until Western support can help Ukraine achieve a balance in the conflict. He hopes that in the coming months, Europe will allocate resources to purchase long-range weapons for Ukraine.

"I think …

Belgium has allocated funds for the urgent purchase of 50,000 rounds of ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reports the newspaper Le Soir.

The Belgian government has approved a €200 million provision for munitions to aid Ukraine. The ordinance will be purchased from outside the European Union, whose production capacity is currently limited and unable to meet the needs of the Ukrainian military front.

Belgium plans to acquire 50,000 NATO-standard 155mm artillery rounds for Ukraine. …

According to Der Spiegel, Germany is engaged in covert negotiations with India to procure "several hundred thousand" artillery shells for Ukraine through intermediaries. 

According to Der Speigel, an informal group of officers, diplomats, and civil servants from the Chancellery, as well as financial and economic departments, convene in Berlin biweekly.

They look into which countries might possess ammunition stockpiles and strategies on persuading them. Government insiders indicate that nearly …