FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that the EU will invest billions of euros to supply Ukraine with drones.
Her comments mark the bloc's most concrete step yet to boost Kiev's battlefield capacity with unmanned aerial systems.
"Therefore, specifically, we have agreed with Ukraine that a total of 2 billion euros will be spent on drones now," von der Leyen told reporters, speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
She said that "this allows Ukraine to expand and use its full capacity and will certainly allow the European Union to benefit from this technology as well."
Rutte will join the College of Commissioners in Brussels later on Tuesday for a discussion on defense and security issues.
Von der Leyen also took steps to catalyze the debate on how to finance long-term support for Ukraine.
She outlined a plan for a “reparation loan” linked to frozen Russian assets in Europe.
The loan, she said, would be disbursed in conditional installments, with a portion earmarked for military procurement by European industry. Her comments echoed remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a Financial Times article last week.
She stressed that "there is no asset seizure," while Ukraine would only pay if Russia pays reparations in a future post-war settlement.
Rutte supported the EU initiative for a so-called anti-drone wall along the eastern flank, calling it "timely and necessary" in light of recent air incidents in Poland, Estonia and Denmark.
"We cannot spend millions of euros or dollars on missiles to shoot down drones that only cost a few thousand dollars," he warned.
The announcements come ahead of an informal European Council summit in Copenhagen, where leaders are expected to discuss the bloc's defense plans and preparations for a joint NATO-EU Readiness Roadmap 2030.
Lini një Përgjigje