Ursula von der Leyen
“With military aid, Ukraine will be able to stand firm against Russia and at the same time integrate more closely into the European defense industrial base. The budget support is intended to help Ukraine push forward reforms and modernize the country,” Ursula von der Leyen said.
She added that the allocated funding implies Ukraine’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and fighting corruption. In addition, Kiev will have to give priority to EU companies when buying weapons. At the same time, if something cannot be bought in the EU countries or cannot be received in due time, Ukraine has the right to make purchases outside the EU.
The European Commission chairwoman emphasized that Ukraine would not have to repay the loan “until reparations” are paid by Russia. In addition, the previously put forward option with the “reparation loan” “remains on the table”, she emphasized.
As noted by Politico, Europe has compromised by granting Ukraine the right to purchase arms from outside the EU in certain cases. Earlier it became known that France, Cyprus and Greece advocated the priority right for European companies. Germany, the Netherlands and other countries of the bloc insisted that this would “tie Kiev’s hands” and limit its freedom.
The EU decided to finance Ukraine in 2026-2027 with a loan from the bloc’s general budget in December 2025. Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia refused to participate in this mechanism. At the same time, the EU decided not to use Russian assets to support Kiev. Earlier in the same month, Russia’s assets worth €210bn were frozen in the EU for an indefinite period of time.
