EU invests nearly one billion euros in a defense fund with Ukraine's participation.

The European Commission announced the allocation of €910 million for the next year from the European Defence Fund (EDF). The main news is that Ukrainian defense enterprises will also be able to participate in these projects.

European Commission spokesman Thomas Renier reported this during a briefing in Brussels.

He noted that these investments are intended to support 62 selected projects aimed at creating a strong and innovative defense industry in Europe.

'These investments aim to support 62 selected projects to create a strong and innovative defense industry in Europe to address key gaps in forces, mobility, and drone protection through innovations and cooperation between European science and industry,' Renier noted.

The European Commission spokesman particularly emphasized the historic significance of this decision: 'For the first Time, Ukrainian defense enterprises will have the opportunity to participate in EDF projects. This is an important step in strengthening cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defense industries.'

The European Commission's press release also states: 'Strengthening cooperation between Ukrainian and European defense industries is based on the activities of the EU Defense Innovation Office in Kyiv, which are aimed at promoting the strengthening of ties and further integration of Ukraine into the European defense industrial base, achieving common security and innovation goals.'

These EDF investments will contribute to the development of the European defense industry within the European Commission's readiness plan 'Rearmament of Europe' by 2030, which aims to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities as a whole and to implement the Common White Paper on European Defense Readiness by 2030 that creates a new approach to defense and highlights the need for investment.

New technologies and Ukrainian developments

As a result of the competition, nine projects aimed at developing breakthrough technologies have been chosen for 2024, including the METASTEALTH project, which focuses on creating next-generation stealth materials.

'Among the recently selected projects is also the Ukrainian Small UAS, which focuses on the development of advanced air systems based on artificial intelligence,' the EC reported.

Thus, the allocation of these EDF investments is an important step for the development of the European defense industry and strengthening cooperation between Ukrainian and European defense sectors. Ukrainian enterprises will also have the opportunity to join these projects, indicating a desire for even greater cooperation and integration of Ukraine into the European defense industrial base.