Europe to increase arms production for Ukraine - Commissioner for Defense

That’s according to a newly appointed European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, who spoke with hromadske, Ukrinform reports.

Answering the question of whether Europe will have enough production capacity to increase defense assistance to Ukraine, the official noted that only 20-25% of weapons are produced in EU countries, while the rest is purchased abroad.

According to Kubilius, increasing weapons production in the EU requires orders from European governments, which defense firms are currently lacking, and without long-term contracts with weapons manufacturers, one should not expect Europe to produce more weapons and ammunition for Ukraine in the coming years.

“Money from the EU budget cannot be used to purchase weapons for Ukraine. There are a number of restrictions on investments in the defense industry outside the EU. However, money from the European Peace Fund or frozen Russian assets can be used to procure arms,” the newly appointed European Commissioner noted, according to the report delivered in Ukrainian.

At the same time, Kubilius explains, next year Ukraine will receive about EUR 30 billion from the EU and will decide for itself how much of the amount to use for defense purposes. The EU is currently implementing a new mechanism that will allow the integration of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex into the European defense industry.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, another major package of military aid from Germany has been delivered to Ukraine, which includes air defense capabilities.

Photo: Morris MacMatzen/Getty Images