EU to disburse €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones
The European Union will disburse another €3.3 billion ($3.9 billion) to Ukraine to procure missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said following a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The funds will be disbursed on Sept. 18, von der Leyen said.
"Last week, we approved EU funding for Patriot systems through our Ukraine Support Loan. But clearly more is needed," she said.
Von der Leyen also said the EU was ready to use remaining funds from its SAFE defense financing mechanism to launch a new program for joint EU-Ukraine defense projects.
The EU and Ukraine also aim to develop a European air and missile defense system building on their joint anti-ballistic Freya system.
"We want to combine Ukraine's battlefield experience and innovation with Europe's technology and industrial strength," von der Leyen said.
The European Union has mobilized nearly €15 billion ($17.7 billion) for Ukraine so far this year, according to the Commission president.
Von der Leyen said she and Zelenskyy also discussed reforms needed in Ukraine's parliament to unlock further funding and advance the country's path toward EU membership.
She is due to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, where she said her message to Ukraine's international partners would be that "Europe is stepping up. Now others must step up their support too."
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