Financing set to buy ammunition for Ukraine, Czech president says

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Financing for the purchase of 800,000 ammunition rounds for Ukraine has been secured, CTK news agency and Czech Television cited Czech President Petr Pavel as saying on Thursday.

CTK said 18 countries had joined the Czech-led initiative.

Norway had said earlier on Thursday it would donate up to 1.6 billion Norwegian crowns ($153 million) for the plan. That followed pledges by Germany and France also this week.

Pavel had flagged the plan to source ammunition for Ukraine from third countries last month, saying the Czech Republic had found 500,000 rounds of 155-calibre ammunition and 300,000 rounds of 122-calibre that could be delivered in weeks if funding was secured.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Alison Williams, Alexandra Hudson)