The European Union will establish a Drone Alliance with Ukraine. It is also working with Kyiv on priorities within the European Defense Industrial Programme (EDIP), particularly missile production, says European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, UkrInform reports.
Europe needs to take responsibility for own defense
Kubilius claims that the EU must pursue greater defense autonomy, building it together with NATO and Ukraine, while taking into account the US's new priorities.
At the same time, Kubilius rejects the notion that EU institutions would be responsible for defense.
“It is the responsibility of the member states. The task of the European Commission is to support the member states in every possible way,” he states.
The Commissioner calls for the development of Europe-wide strategic capabilities in which the EU is currently critically dependent on the US, including:
- strategic airlift,
- air-to-air refuelling,
- missile defense,
- space-based intelligence and surveillance data,
- command-and-control capabilities.
A “sleeping giant”
In Kubilius’s view, Europe remains a “sleeping giant” in defense matters. The EU must seek greater defense autonomy in close cooperation with NATO and Ukraine, especially in light of shifting US priorities.
Trending Now
He cites successful examples of the European Defense Fund and other defense initiatives. Under the SAFE program, which allocates €150 billion, the European Commission has already approved 16 national investment plans and forwarded them to the EU Council for approval, while three more are currently under review.
The SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program is an EU financial instrument launched in 2025.
Ukraine has been recognized as a “quasi-member” of the program, allowing Ukrainian defense industry manufacturers (ammunition, air defense, drones, logistics, cyber defense) to participate in tenders, integrate into supply chains, and receive direct investment for localized production.
