8 EU countries advocate for Ukraine's integration into the European defense industry

On the initiative of Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, the defense ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Poland have sent a joint letter to the European Commission, the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, the European Defence Agency, and other European countries ahead of today's EU Defense Ministerial meeting. The letter proposes four specific lines of action for cooperation with Ukraine's defense industry.

"Together with the seven other defense ministers, we propose that an EU action plan for Ukraine's integration into the European defense industry be developed as soon as possible. This should ensure Ukraine's access to EU defense industry and defense innovation programs. A strengthened Ukrainian defense industry is essential for Ukraine – and for our supply security in Europe," says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

According to figures from the European Commission, nearly 80 percent of the defense equipment purchased by EU member states since Russia's invasion of Ukraine up to today has been bought from outside Europe. But this trend is not sustainable if Europe is to build an industry capable of meeting the needs of its member states. It is a prerequisite for the EU's continued military support to Ukraine and the EU's ability to take greater responsibility for its own security to build supply security in Europe.

Together with his seven ministerial colleagues, Troels Lund Poulsen also emphasizes in the letter the necessity of building maintenance capacity locally in Ukraine through industrial partnerships and targeted efforts.

"For this to succeed, we need to create good EU frameworks for the establishment of long-term and strategic industrial partnerships between Ukrainian and European companies. Denmark has taken the first step and announced that we will invest directly in the Ukrainian defense industry. It will undoubtedly strengthen Ukraine if more EU countries support the Danish investment and follow our example," says Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

In addition to strengthening the European defense industry, the EU's continued military support for Ukraine will be high on the agenda at today's Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Facts:

• The letter to, among others, the European Commission on the European defense industry was sent at Danish initiative.
• The seven other signatories of the letter are defense ministers from Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands.
• On March 5, 2024, the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs presented a European Defence Industrial Strategy, which includes partnerships and the need to establish closer relations between the Ukrainian and European defense industries. It is this part of the strategy that the effort aims to further develop and specify.