Ukraine's leading allies in Europe plan to approach the EU for tens of billions of euros in loans for joint procurement of weapons for Ukraine and to strengthen their own defense. The SAFE program envisages loans for weapons, financed by EU debt with a 45-year repayment period.
Nine countries have officially expressed interest in borrowing funds from the EU military procurement program SAFE by the deadline. Poland plans to request 25 billion euros, and Greece – at least 1.2 billion euros.
Norway, Ukraine, and Great Britain may join the EU's secure satellite network IRIS², which is an alternative to Elon Musk's Starlink. Norway is already in negotiations, while Ukraine and Great Britain have not yet started them, despite concerns about Starlink's market dominance.
Lithuanian border guards shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle that flew into the country's airspace from the territory of Belarus. The drone was detected 4 km from the border after it was intercepted using special equipment.
EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius calls on Lithuania and the Baltic states to create a drone shield and establish mass production of drones after a Russian "Gerbera" drone flew into Lithuanian territory. He emphasizes the need to train specialists for rapid drone production.
The European Union and member states have allocated €140 billion in aid to Ukraine, of which €50 billion is military. European Commissioner Kubilius called for integration instead of a logic of aid.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that the EU White Paper opens up new opportunities for Ukraine's integration into European security policy. This became known after a meeting with European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
Andrius Kubilius said that the EU can increase military aid to Ukraine by buying weapons directly from Ukrainian manufacturers. Ukrainian weapons are twice as cheap as European or American ones.
EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has stated that Russia may be ready to attack EU countries in as little as five years. He called on the EU to prepare for possible aggression.
According to Andrius Kubilius, the US is trying to reach a peace agreement on the war in Ukraine, but they need to understand who Putin is. Appeasement of dictators ends badly, they become more aggressive.
The foreign ministers of European countries have declared their readiness to increase pressure on russia with sanctions. This is done to prevent the war and ensure a just peace for Ukraine.
The European Commission has approved the White Paper Readiness 2030 and the ReArm Europe plan. This is a major step towards a safer Europe, aimed at deterring Russia and supporting Ukraine.
The EU plans to develop the defense industry by reducing US support. The priority is to provide Ukraine with weapons, ammunition and strengthen cooperation in the defense sector.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius commented on the US demand for NATO countries to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. He reminded that the US itself spends only 3.5%, while some European countries have already reached 5%.
European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius announced the EU's plans to increase shell production to 2 million units this year. The Ukrainian defense industry has increased production 35 times during this period - to 35 billion euros per year.
