The European Union has approved five major industrial defense projects, spanning drones, missiles, and military space capabilities, with Ukraine participating in four of them.
European defense ministers convened in Brussels on September 28, 2026, to formally endorse the first five initiatives under the European Defense Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs). These megaprojects are part of the €1.5 billion European Defense Industry Program (EDIP), designed to enable countries to collectively develop and deploy complex military systems too large or intricate for a single nation.
On average, 18 EU member states will collaborate on each initiative. The European Commission has already earmarked €325 million for these five projects, making them eligible for funding under the program. While the funds have not yet been disbursed, this decision paves the way for further EU financial support in the future.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius hailed the approval as a “major breakthrough” aimed at closing critical gaps in the bloc’s defense capabilities. He stated that the long-term funding target is approximately €190 billion ($216 billion) by 2036.
Ukraine, which is not an EU member state, has joined four of the five projects, excluding the space initiative. Brussels has been progressively integrating Ukraine into its defense-industrial framework, citing the nation’s battlefield experience as a key asset for developing new weapons and technologies.
The EU asserts that its military buildup is necessary to counter what it describes as a growing “Russian threat.” Moscow has dismissed these claims as “nonsense,” accusing European governments of using them to justify inflated military budgets and continued arms supplies to Ukraine. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev labeled the EU’s militarization efforts “rabid,” while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated at the UN General Assembly that Russia has no plans to attack NATO or EU states, pointing to European military readiness goals for 2030.
