“I follow the Moskva down to Gorky Park, Listening to the wind of change, An August summer night, soldiers passing by, Listening to the wind of change.”

In 1990, the German rock band “Scorpions” released their single “Winds of Change.” An instant worldwide hit, the song called for the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. 

Soon after its release, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Europe let out a long sigh of relief. The specter of nuclear warfare a distant memory, the Continent focused on its economy to enter the future. 

More than 30 years later, trouble once more came from the east. Russia fully invaded Ukraine, casting cold shadows over Europe and prompting action among its countries.

The latest proposal to come out from Brussels is to allocate almost $110 billion for the creation of a common defense fund. 

A Common Pot of Cash 

This week, European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton revealed a plan to create a massive defense fund for the members of the European Union. Funds from the €100 billion fund would boost joint weapons procurement program and ramp up domestic arms and ammunition production. 

“I believe we have to have a huge defense fund to help to accelerate, even probably in the amount of €100 billion,” Breton, who also leads the European Union’s defense policy, said on Tuesday. 

For the European official’s proposal to go forward, the member states would first have to agree, and then the European Council would have to greenlight the final course of action. 

However, the European Union official’s proposal has been getting some flak from the defense ministers of individual member states. 

“I’m not happy when I see some defense ministers saying we will not be able to deliver, this is not the kind of information you give when there is a war on your Continent,” the European Union official added. 

We Need More Ammo!

Perhaps the most sought-after piece of ammunition right now are 155mm artillery shells. The Ukrainian military depends on its Western partners for a steady flow of such munitions for both its offensive and defensive operations against the Russian forces.

At certain points during the fighting, especially around its counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military was expending more than 7,000 artillery shells on a single day.

To be sure, that number is lower during defensive operations, but still, the Ukrainian forces need thousands of artillery shells every day. 

The European Union has promised to deliver 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine by the spring of 2024. However, with the deadline looming, the European defense industry is struggling to meet the gargantuan demands of the Ukrainian conflict. 

The war in Ukraine has shown how fragile is the ammunition production chain in the West. The United States, NATO, and the European Union are “suffering” from prolonged periods of relative peace and haven’t had to create the necessary infrastructure to produce large numbers of quality ammunition quickly. 

About the Author

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense and national security journalist specializing in special operations. A Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), he holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP. You can email the author: [email protected].