The European Union will allocate €6 billion for the Ukrainian Drone Alliance to scale up the production of Ukrainian drones.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this during a speech at the European Union plenary session.
“I can also announce that Europe will provide €6 billion in loans from the G7 and will establish a drone alliance with Ukraine. Ukraine has ingenuity. Now it needs an industrial scale. And together we can provide it: so that Ukraine maintains its competitive edge over Russia, and Europe strengthens its own,” Ursula von der Leyen said in Strasbourg.
The loan funds will be financed from the profits of frozen Russian assets and will be directed to the production of Ukrainian drones, reports European Pravda.
Von der Leyen noted that more than two-thirds of Russia’s equipment losses are due to Ukraine’s use of drones.
She emphasized the need to scale up Ukraine’s defense industry, as Russia is rapidly increasing production of Iranian long-range drones and is taking advantage of mass industrial manufacturing.
According to her, the EU can use its industrial strength to support Ukraine in resisting this drone warfare.
The day before, the European Union allocated €150 billion in long-term loans to member countries to strengthen defense under the SAFE initiative. The program’s conditions stipulate that up to one-third of all expenses may be invested in purchasing defense products made in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s participation in the program creates new opportunities for its defense industry, allowing it to compete on equal terms with enterprises from EU countries.
Experts note that this approach will promote the integration of Ukrainian manufacturers into the European defense market. In turn, this will enhance Ukraine’s ability to develop its own defense industry in partnership with the EU.
Thus, SAFE becomes an essential tool not only for rearming Europe but also for deepening Ukraine’s defense integration with European structures.
