The decision to allocate €6.1 billion to Ukraine under the defence component of an EU loan provides for the procurement of anti-ballistic weapons, among other capabilities.
European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said this at a briefing in Brussels on Tuesday.
Asked whether Ukraine could use funds from the latest tranche of EU defence assistance to purchase US-made interceptor missiles, Ujvari clarified that the package includes funding for anti-ballistic capabilities. However, no exemptions from procurement rules were granted for the defence procurement schedules submitted by Ukraine, meaning that the weapons must be ordered from European or Ukrainian suppliers.
“We cannot comment on the product procurement schedules because they are confidential. But there are no derogations in this round. This means that the relevant weapons and military equipment are manufactured either in the EU or in Ukraine,” he said.
“We have approved a total of seven product procurement schedules. Before we can make the payment, we need to receive the contracts that Ukraine has signed with the relevant defence manufacturers, analyse those contracts, approve them, and then make the payment, which usually happens quickly,” Ujvari explained.
The spokesperson highlighted an important element of the latest allocation: for the first time under the EU loan, “anti-ballistic capabilities” have been approved.
“But there are also missiles, ammunition and radars,” he added.
Ujvari said Ukraine is expected to submit for assessment procurement lists worth a total of €6 billion, with payments planned by the end of 2026. Exemptions from the rules could potentially be approved for these purchases, allowing Ukraine to procure weapons manufactured in third countries, including the United States.
He added that Ukraine could submit such procurement schedules requesting exemptions from the rules for approval in the coming weeks.
