Shmyhal, currently on an official visit to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is in talks with various European leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda, regarding the initiative and has held discussions with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on the issue.

The initiative seeks to furnish Ukraine with close to a million artillery shells, with funding sourced from a coalition of 20 countries.

Writing on social media, Shymhal said: “During a bilateral meeting with Mr. Fiala, we discussed the implementation of the artillery initiative, for which over €1.6 billion has already been collected. For us, the most important thing is that the ammunition arrives on time, systematically, and according to schedule, starting from June.”

The Prime Minister of Ukraine highlighted discussions between Kyiv and its allies regarding the potential use of received weaponry for defensive actions within the aggressor’s territory, indicating the possibility of strikes on Russian soil.

Earlier statements from Fiala indicated that the initial shipments of ammunition secured through the Czech initiative would arrive in Ukraine by June, without divulging specific delivery plans.