EU's Ukraine ammunition plan held up by eligibility wrangle

FILE PHOTO: European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A European Union plan to send 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine is being held up as member states argue over how far spending for the plan will stay within the EU, diplomats and officials said on Thursday.

EU foreign ministers approved the groundbreaking package on March 20. The most immediate part of the plan earmarked 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) to refund EU countries for sending urgently needed artillery shells from stockpiles to Ukraine.