Newsletters
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine on Friday for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Tomorrow, we will disburse another €3.3 billion to Ukraine,” von der Leyen said in an official readout of the call.
She linked the new funding to continued Russian strikes on Kyiv.
“Russia is relentlessly targeting Kyiv, trying to make daily life impossible for its inhabitants,” she said. “We stand with them. And with all Ukrainians.”
The payment is part of the €28.3 billion allocated this year for Ukraine’s defense under the EU’s Ukraine Support Loan.
Von der Leyen said the bloc last week also approved EU funding for Patriot systems through the same loan.
That decision opened the way for Ukraine to purchase U.S.-made Patriot interceptors used against ballistic missiles.
“But clearly more is needed,” von der Leyen said.
Von der Leyen said Brussels was prepared to use remaining funds from SAFE, the Security Action for Europe defense financing instrument, to launch new joint EU-Ukraine defense projects.
“We want to develop together a European air and missile defense system, building on our joint anti-ballistic Freya system,” she said.
Von der Leyen said the goal was to combine Ukraine’s battlefield experience and innovation with Europe’s technology and industrial capabilities.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
