She proposed a reparations loan tied to frozen Russian assets, with repayment dependent on future reparations from Moscow.
The European Union is taking its most concrete step yet to strengthen Ukraine's defense. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that the Union would provide €2 billion for the delivery of drones to Kyiv.
The aim is to fundamentally increase the combat capability of the Ukrainian army at a time when unmanned technologies are crucial on the front lines.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the agreement with Ukraine would not only enable the rapid deployment of modern systems, but also the development of European know-how. “Ukraine will be able to fully exploit its capabilities, and at the same time, the European Union itself will gain access to cutting-edge technologies,” she told reporters.
She was joined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who later that day discussed defense and security issues with the European Commission.
The Commission President also addressed another politically sensitive issue: the financing of long-term support for Ukraine. She presented a proposal for a so-called “reparations loan” that would be linked to frozen Russian assets in Europe.
The money would be released gradually, and part of it would be used to purchase military equipment from European companies. Von der Leyen emphasized that this would not constitute a seizure of assets. Repayment would depend on future reparations payments from Russia after the end of the war.
Her words echo the recent appeal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who called for Russian assets to be used to benefit Kyiv in an article for the Financial Times.
Rutte also supported the initiative for a so-called “drone barrier” on the EU's eastern border. Against the backdrop of recent incidents involving Russian drones in Poland, Estonia, and Denmark, he described the project as indispensable. “We cannot spend millions on missiles to shoot down drones that cost only a few thousand euros,” he warned.
The announcements come shortly before the informal summit of the European Council in Copenhagen. There, European heads of state and government will discuss defense strategies until 2030 and work out a joint roadmap for NATO and EU readiness.
(reuters, lud)