EU Unlocks Funds for Patriots, Drones and Defence
Brussels:The European Union has pledged an additional €6.1 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, with a major share expected to help Kyiv obtain Patriot missiles needed to defend its cities from Russian ballistic attacks.
The money, announced on Friday, comes from the EU’s €90 billion support loan for Ukraine. Of that total, €28.3 billion has been reserved for military aid this year and €16.7 billion for budget support. The new package is the final allocation from the military funding envelope, as reported by Euro News.
EU officials said the funds would be released in stages after Brussels reviews contracts signed by Ukraine with private suppliers. So far, €8.35 billion in defence funding has been transferred.
Andrius Kubilius, the EU commissioner for defence, said Ukraine urgently needs weapons in large numbers and without delay.
“Accelerating EU deliveries through de-stocking, reprioritising orders and ramping up production remains crucial,” he told reporters.
The EU will also lift its “Made in Europe” requirement for the purchase of Patriot systems, which are made in the United States, and for drones that rely on Chinese components. The decision reflects the pressure on Ukraine’s air defences as Russia steps up attacks ahead of winter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs around 300 Patriot interceptors to protect the country through the colder months. But PAC-3 missiles, produced by US defence company Lockheed Martin, are in short supply. Each interceptor can take about 24 months to manufacture and costs roughly $4 million.
Brussels is now urging EU countries with Patriot missiles in their own stockpiles to send them to Ukraine and receive replacements later, when fresh deliveries are expected in 2027.
The push comes as the Middle East conflict adds further strain to global defence supply chains. Kubilius said NATO was also working to speed up deliveries under its programme for supplying US-made weapons to Ukraine.
The announcement followed the first meeting of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance, which brought together 18 EU companies and nine Ukrainian firms to expand joint drone production.
