Ukraine’s skies are about to get better protection. Brussels has unlocked another €6.1bn for Kyiv to buy air-defence systems, drones and ammunition, including a rare green light to purchase American Patriot missiles alongside European-made kit. The money, though, will not arrive all at once, but in stages.
“There’s quite a bit of work lying ahead in the remaining months of the year,” Commission spokesperson Balázs Ujvári told reporters. Brussels must now process the payments and verify the relevant contracts.
The latest €6.1bn approval means the €28.3bn earmarked for Ukraine’s 2026 defence support has now been fully allocated, under the wider €90bn Ukraine Support Loan. The Commission has so far disbursed €8.35bn in defence funding this year, with more expected to follow.
Around €3.2bn of the latest package required an exemption from rules favouring weapons produced in Ukraine and Europe. As EU Perspectives reported, the exemption allows Kyiv to use European money for equipment unavailable from those suppliers, including US-made PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems.
The Commission clarified that the entire €3.2bn would not go towards Patriot missiles. It also covers other products, including certain drones, but the precise purchases remain confidential for security reasons.
Russian assets remain on the table
The wider €90bn loan makes €45bn available to Ukraine this year and the same amount in 2027. Approximately €60bn supports defence, while the remainder helps the government maintain public services and economic stability.
Reports have suggested that Brussels is again examining how frozen Russian assets could support Ukraine. Around €210bn in Russian assets remain immobilised in the EU, mostly through Belgium-based Euroclear. Legal concerns and fears of Russian retaliation have so far prevented governments from agreeing on their use.
The Commission said its immediate priority was first to distribute the money already committed. It is also consulting Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund to determine whether Kyiv faces an additional financing shortfall.
We need to establish the needs before we can potentially discuss ways of addressing it. — Balázs Ujvári, Commission spokesperson
“We need to establish the needs before we can potentially discuss ways of addressing it,” Mr Ujvári said. The use of Russian assets remains an option, but Brussels has not announced a new proposal or timetable.
