Flag of the European Union . AP/Omar Havana
As reported by the online media Suspilne.
The European Union has reached an agreement guaranteeing Ukraine’s participation in the European Defence Fund. A Danish presidency official in the Council of the EU announced this. The agreement completes the final stage of the ReArm Europe package and brings Ukraine closer to EU joint defence initiatives.
“In close cooperation with negotiators from the European Parliament and the Commission, we have managed to ensure that Ukraine can now participate in the European Defence Fund, a crucial step for integrating Ukrainian and European industry, which many member states have pressed for over 1.5 years”
The core provisions of the agreement foresee mobilizing EU budget resources for research, development, and innovation in the defence sector, as well as investments in industrial capacity and infrastructure through changes to EU regulations.
Among the main components are the Digital Europe Programme, the European Defence Fund, the Connecting Europe Facility, as well as the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and Horizon Europe.
The association agreement between Ukraine and the European Defence Fund creates new opportunities for Ukrainian entities to join in the EU’s joint research and development in defence in the future. The Fund’s budget for 2021–2027 amounts to around €7.3 billion, of which €2.7 billion is allocated to joint defence research and €5.3 billion to joint capacity-building projects that complement national contributions.
Overall, this will lead to increased investments in defence innovation, military mobility, and dual-use technologies, in line with the EU’s strategic priorities as endorsed by the European Council in March 2025.
Context and Expectations
Experts note that Ukraine’s participation in the EDF could stimulate joint research and supply chains between member states and Ukrainian partners, particularly in the production of defence equipment and dual-use technologies.
Moreover, this agreement underscores the EU’s commitment to strengthening defence capabilities and integrating the European defence ecosystem, in line with the Union’s and its members’ strategic priorities.
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