Some ReArm Europe funds to be funneled to Ukraine's defense, EU official says

A portion of the 800 billion euros (approximately $888 billion) for the ReArm Europe program will be used to provide military support to Ukraine, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in an interview with European Pravda published May 12.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 4 presented the ReArm Europe plan, a five-point initiative to strengthen the continent’s defense capabilities in the face of escalating Russian aggression and shifting U.S. policy on transatlantic relations.

The plan involves a projected 650 billion euros ($684 billion) in increased defense spending and 150 billion euros ($158 billion) in loans for defense investments.

Member states can use these funds to provide Ukraine with weapons and invest in the country’s defense industry, Kubilius told European Pravda.

“Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine, in particular procurement in the Ukrainian defense industry for the needs of the Armed Forces,” he said.

National defense funds can also be used to buy weapons for Ukraine, Kubilius said.

“And of those 650 billion that are intended for national defense spending, part can also be spent on weapons for Ukraine,” he said. “This will be a decision of the member states.”

Officials have warned that Europe faces critical arms shortages, pointing out that Russia’s military expenditures in 2024 surpassed Europe’s spending by approximately $5 billion.

At a meeting of European foreign ministers and the EU High Representative in London on May 12, representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom pledged to “play a still greater role in assuring our own security."

“We will use all feasible levers to strengthen our collective defense capability and production and reinforce Europe’s technological and industrial base,” the ministers wrote in a joint statement. The officials also promised to ramp up military support for Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova