Ukraine will receive EU funding to scale up drone production, – von der Leyen

Ukraine will receive EU funding to scale up drone production, – von der Leyen

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced an agreement with Ukraine to allocate 2 billion euros for drone production, which will enable Kyiv to scale up its military capabilities and bring technological advantages to the entire European Union.

"If we continue to believe that Ukraine is our first line of defense, we must strengthen military aid to Ukraine. Therefore, specifically, we have agreed with Ukraine that a total of 2 billion euros will now be spent on drones. This allows Ukraine to scale up and utilize its full potential. And, of course, it will also enable the EU to benefit from this technology," – stated von der Leyen during a joint statement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

This initiative is part of a broader EU "Drone Coalition" with Ukraine, for which a total of 6 billion euros in loans from the European Reserve for Defense Capabilities (ERA) has been allocated, as announced in von der Leyen’s September State of the Union address. In the context of increasing Russian aerial provocations in Europe, including recent violations of NATO countries’ airspace, the EU also plans to create a "drone wall" – a drone countermeasure system along the eastern border.