The European Union is set to provide Ukraine with an additional €6.1 billion in financial support to help the war-weary country purchase critical military equipment, including urgently needed Patriot air-defense systems.
The funding, announced Friday, will come from the EU’s €90 billion support loan package, which allocates €28.3 billion for military assistance and €16.7 billion for budgetary support this year.
The requirement that funds be used for equipment produced within Europe will be waived to allow Ukraine to purchase U.S.-made Patriot systems as well as drones that rely on Chinese components.
The newly allocated €6.1 billion represents the final tranche of the €28.3 billion military assistance allocation. Payments are being released in installments after the European Commission reviews and verifies contracts signed by Kyiv with private companies.
So far, €8.35 billion has been transferred for defense-related spending.
“Ukraine’s military superiority depends on the rapid availability of critical products, in the quantities required and within very short timeframes,” European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius said at a press conference.
“Accelerating EU deliveries by using existing stocks, reassessing procurement priorities and increasing production capacity remains essential,” he added.
The new funding comes as Ukraine’s allies accelerate efforts to strengthen its air defenses amid an intensifying Russian bombing campaign, including the use of jet-powered drones.
European officials are also warning that Ukraine could face its harshest winter of the war so far, increasing pressure on Kyiv’s allies to ensure sufficient air-defense systems and other critical military supplies are available ahead of the colder months.
