Ukraine & EU Deepen Defense Ties Under €150 Billion SAFE Instrument
Kyiv and European Union Deepen Defense Ties Under €150 Billion SAFE Instrument.
The Gaze report on it refers to president Zelensky's office.
Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, met with a delegation of the European Union led by Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defense at the European External Action Service, and Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defense Industry and Space.
Zhovkva thanked EU member states for their continued support and emphasized that Ukraine is fully prepared to contribute to the development of the EU’s Eastern Flank Watch/European Drone Defense Initiative.
He noted that President Zelenskyy has already discussed Ukraine’s readiness with European partners to share its frontline experience to strengthen the defense potential of the entire EU.
A central focus of the meeting was the EU’s new SAFE initiative (Security and Actions for Europe). Both sides underlined the importance of using all opportunities for joint production under this instrument.
“We count on effective cooperation with EU member states under the new SAFE instrument to meet Ukraine’s critical short- and medium-term defense needs. We expect member states participating in SAFE to include a ‘Ukrainian element’—with concrete figures and specific types of equipment—in their national security and defense investment plans by the end of November,” Mr. Zhovkva said.
The EU delegation briefed Kyiv on the countries that have already confirmed their readiness to invest in joint defense projects with Ukraine through SAFE. The deadline for submitting national plans is November 30.
Ukraine and the EU agreed to intensify cooperation to ensure substantial contributions from each participating state—particularly in the areas of missiles, drones, and artillery munitions.
SAFE is a new EU financial tool worth €150 billion designed to strengthen the Union’s long-term defense capabilities. It offers member states and partners—primarily Ukraine—long-term loans to finance defense projects, expand military production, and accelerate joint procurement.
Overall, 19 European countries have already expressed readiness to take SAFE loans. The SAFE mechanism will complement existing EU initiatives supporting Ukraine and help member states boost the delivery of weapons and military equipment needed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
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