Photo: J. Stacevičius / LRT
Kubilius: EU should urgently invest in Ukraine’s defence industry due to its efficiency and strategic importance
The Ukrainian defence industry demonstrates impressive efficiency and can produce high quality weapons twice as cheaply as in Europe, said European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius during a speech at the Brussels Forum, Ukrinformreports.
He stressed that the European Union should urgently use the new financial instrument SAFE (Security Action for Europe) to place defence orders in Ukraine and strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities against the backdrop of threats from Russia.
“Ukrainians are very innovative. They can produce high quality weapons at a much lower price. We have to act quickly,” Kubilius emphasised.
SAFE is a new loan programme that allows EU countries to attract up to €150 billion in public and private investment in the defence sector. It also paves the way for direct investment in Ukraine.
Kubilius also drew attention to the results of other EU defence initiatives. For example, thanks to the ASAP programme, the production of projectiles in Europe has increased from 300,000 to 2 million units in a year, demonstrating the potential for scaling up. However, he warned: “Russia is producing more ammunition 3 times faster than NATO countries combined.
As part of the Readiness 2030 plan, the EU has already approved €800 billion in defence investments. Kubilius called for no delay and maximum use of existing programmes to strengthen both Europe and Ukraine at the same time.
