Ukraine to gain access to EUR 7.3B European Defence Fund

A political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU has opened the possibility for Ukraine to be associated with the EUR 7.3 billion European Defence Fund (EDF).

According to Ukrinform, the statement was published on the European Commission’s website, which welcomed the move.

“This represents an important step forward in EU–Ukraine defence cooperation and in strengthening Europe's collective security and industrial resilience. It also paves the way for Ukraine's gradual integration into the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB),” the Commission stated.

The agreement is part of a broader legislative package to boost defence-related investment under the EU budget, the so-called ‘mino-omnibus’.

As expected, it will make EU programmes more flexible and better aligned to support Europe's defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB), innovation, and infrastructure — from military mobility to dual-use technologies.

The Commission emphasized that this is a key element in the implementation of the ReArm Europe Plan and a direct complement to the Mid-Term Review of the Cohesion Policy and the Defence Readiness Omnibus.

“It marks a new milestone in strengthening cooperation with Ukraine and its defence industrial ecosystems,” statement says.

The new regulation will be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Once in force, it will enable the Commission to incorporate these changes into core EU programmes, ensuring faster and more coordinated support for European defence and Ukraine’s integration into the European defence industrial ecosystem.

As previously reported, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernova stated in an interview with Ukrinform that Ukraine has already become part of the new European security architecture.

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