EU Approves Funding For Patriot Missiles For Ukraine

(MENAFN- UkrinForm)

EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said this at a press conference in Brussels on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Today, the Commission officially also approved EUR 6.1 billion for Ukraine air defense drones and missiles from the Ukraine Support Loan. This is really a very important step forward. We worked a lot with member states and Ukraine to this goal," the commissioner said.

He stressed that the decision is a crucial step toward ensuring the Ukrainian military's combat capability and protecting critical infrastructure from Russian attacks.

According to the official, the decision will allow Ukraine to urgently address shortages of precision weapons and missiles for Patriot air defense systems through exemptions from the general procurement rules.

"The decision officially enables Ukraine to procure PAC-3 missiles for Patriots. Funded under the Ukraine Support Loan, the package includes five derogations from standard eligibility conditions – three for Ukrainian-made drones and components exceeding cost thresholds and two for U.S.-made equipment, in particular PAC-3 missiles, including we as a NATO-coordinated portal mechanism," Kubilius said.

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The EU commissioner noted that the speed of deliveries is now a decisive factor, and that the partnership between the EU and Ukraine should ensure a steady supply of the weapons needed on the battlefield.

"Ukraine's military edge depends on the rapid availability of critical products in the required quantities and within very short time frames. Accelerating EU deliveries through desk stocking, reprioritizing orders, and ramping up the production remains crucial," he said.

Asked about the timeline for the delivery of PAC-3 missiles, Kubilius stressed that allies are looking for flexible solutions to immediately meet Ukraine's needs until new batches leave the factory.

He said the question now was whether it is possible to reach agreements with member states that already have PAC-3 missiles in their stockpiles to transfer these missiles from their stocks to Ukraine now and then receive replacements under Ukraine's agreements for 2027.

As reported, under the approved decision, the European Union has fully allocated the EUR 28.3 billion planned for this year to finance Ukraine's defense under the Ukraine Support Loan.

The European Commission is currently processing a request for the disbursement of another EUR 4.7 billion tranche, after EUR 8.3 billion had already been transferred.

According to European Commission estimates, Ukraine's annual needs to defend against ballistic attacks amount to around 2,000 PAC-3 interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, while global production capacity is only gradually increasing, requiring flexible solutions from NATO and EU allies.

Photo: freepik

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