The European Parliament will review by the end of 2025 a legislative act that opens the way for Ukraine to join the European Defence Fund (EDF). The EP Committee plans to vote on the EU Defence Omnibus Package by the end of this year to ensure further progress in defence integration.
Ukraine’s participation in the European Defence Fund will give Ukrainian companies access to joint EU research and development projects. The EDF budget for 2021–2027 amounts to about EUR 7.3 billion, of which EUR 2.7 billion is allocated for research and EUR 5.3 billion for the development of defence capabilities in cooperation with EU member states.
EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius recalled that the defence "mini-Omnibus", preliminarily agreed in October, opens the possibility for Ukraine to obtain associate membership in the EDF. The draft legislative act, proposed by the European Commission, provides for increased defence investment through updates to existing EU programs.