NATO signs key artillery ammunition contract to replenish allied supplies and help Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO has signed a $1.2-billion contract to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling stocks of its member countries. Those stocks are being drained as allies supply shells to Ukraine to help it defeat invading Russian forces. NATO hopes the contract will allow for the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition, the most widely sought-after artillery shell. The move will allow allies to backfill their arsenals and provide Ukraine with more ammunition. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the contract is important “to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine.”