Story perspectives

EU to release €3.3 billion for Ukraine missiles, drones

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:38 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

EU Disburses €3.3bn

The EU will disburse €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the payment after a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The €3.3 billion comes from the €28.3 billion Ukraine Support Loan allocated for 2026.
von der Leyen said SAFE funds will launch an EU-Ukraine defense program based on the Freya project.
Zelenskyy and von der Leyen will meet at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Summary

EU Launches €20bn

The European Instrument for Strategic Enablers will provide a €20 billion guarantee facility from 2027-2030.
EISE targets orphan gaps such as satellites, secure communications, strategic airlift and cyber defence.
A 30 percent grant applies to projects involving at least three member states plus Ukraine.
The proposed Emergency Security Protocol would trigger an EU-wide response and unlock strategic stockpiles.
Nordic and Baltic states say qualified-majority voting may be too slow for near-Article 5 crises.

History

Historical Context

After the 1998 St-Malo declaration gave the EU an autonomous defence identity, the 1999 launch of the European Security and Defence Policy and the 2016 EU Global Strategy—spurred by Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Brexit and the Trump election—expanded rapid-response tools. Building on the €500 million 2022 Ukraine aid, the bloc now earmarks €3.3 billion for missiles and drones and a €20 billion guarantee facility.

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EU Disburses €3.3bn

The EU will disburse €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the payment after a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The €3.3 billion comes from the €28.3 billion Ukraine Support Loan allocated for 2026.
von der Leyen said SAFE funds will launch an EU-Ukraine defense program based on the Freya project.
Zelenskyy and von der Leyen will meet at the UN General Assembly in New York.

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