The specific portion of loans under the European Peace Facility Instrument (SAFE) EU member states will dedicate to Ukraine’s interests remains undecided, but it is already clear that there is European interest in the capabilities of Ukraine’s defence industry.
European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubiliūs, made this statement in a comment to his Ukrinform correspondent, following his participation in the traditional ceremony of raising the Ukrainian flag in front of the European Parliament on Ukrainian National Flag Day.
«Details on the amount of SAFE loans EU nations will allocate to aid Ukraine will emerge in a few months, yet informal reports already indicate significant interest from many member states in utilising the SAFE instrument for Ukraine», Kubiliūs reported.
«This acknowledges that Ukraine’s defence sector holds appeal for the EU. It also confirms that EU tools and programs can offer considerable benefits to Ukraine», stated Kubiliūs.
He recalled the SAFE instrument was formulated considering Ukraine’s requirements – while Ukraine cannot receive loans directly, EU member states can utilise these loans for acquisitions «for Ukraine, within Ukraine, and/or collaboratively with Ukraine».
During his remarks at today’s ceremony in Brussels, Kubiliūs also referenced the 86th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, stressing that a renewed partition of Europe into spheres of influence must be prevented and that Ukraine possesses the right to determine its own future.
He underscored that no one holds veto power over this choice, not even Putin.
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As reported by Ukrinform, the European Commission proposed the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program in March as the financial component of a broader strategy to stimulate the European defence industry, boost munitions and military equipment output, and replenish reserves for Europe’s rearmament.
The program is capped at €150 billion, requiring the EU executive body to determine loan allocations among member nations.
Despite demand already exceeding the available budget, the European Commission still seeks participation from additional countries in the SAFE program.
18 EU members have signaled interest in loans totaling €127 billion under the SAFE defence instrument, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Estonia, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, France, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.
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SAFE loans will be disbursed directly to EU member states; however, Ukraine, permitted to join defence manufacturing projects under the program, should already be actively engaging European producers to arrange joint efforts, a European Commission spokesperson previously indicated.
EU member states must submit detailed SAFE expenditure plans to the European Commission by the close of November 2025.
