European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging EU governments to strike a deal by December on a two-year, €135.7 billion package to support Ukraine, according to a letter sent to the 27 member states. The estimate—based on IMF and Ukrainian data —assumes the war could last until late 2026. According to Fedir Serdiuk, co-founder of MOWA Defence, the need for defence capabalities will always be here.
For Mr Serdiuk, Russia’s actions against the EU and its full-scale war in Ukraine are part of the same chain. “In Ukraine, Russia is conducting a high-intensity, technology-driven conventional war, employing every element of modern combat. In the EU, it uses intimidation strategies while already carrying out cyberattacks, sabotage, subversion, and disinformation campaigns. Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine is characterised by the use of the entire spectrum of conventional weapons from small arms to intercontinental ballistic missiles,” said Mr Serdiuk in an interview with EU Perspectives.
Von der Leyen seems aligned with this strategic reasoning, stressing that it will be crucial to reach a clear and rapid commitment on ensuring the necessary funding for Ukraine ahead of the next European Council in December.
“It will now be key to rapidly reach a clear commitment on how to ensure that the necessary funding for Ukraine will be agreed at the next European Council meeting in December,” the European Commission President wrote to the 27 leaders. “Europe cannot afford paralysis, either by hesitation or by the search for perfect or simple solutions which do not exist,” Ms von der Leyen mentioned.
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She also warns that “clearly, there are no easy options”.
Not just for now, but for the future
According to Mr Serdiuk, the West must ensure consistent, proactive, and rapid preparation for rearmament based on lessons learned on the Ukrainian battlefield. “Equally important is the readiness to respond quickly and precisely to Russian intimidation measures. Russian authorities respect only strength,” he said.
A coherent EU-wide defence strategy is only now beginning to take shape; previously, there was no unified concept of European defence. – Fedir Serdiuk, co-founder of MOWA Defence
“A coherent EU-wide defence strategy is only now beginning to take shape; previously, there was no unified concept of European defence. From my perspective, the primary concern is not production capacity or financing, but the speed of doctrinal adaptation and large-scale force training. Warfare has changed. EU armed forces, along with the regulatory frameworks that enable rapid response and manoeuvre, must be ready,” the MOWA expert reiterates.
In the letter, von der Leyen highlights the “particularly high” level of funding Ukraine will require in 2026 and 2027: €83.4bn to finance the Ukrainian military and €55.2bn to stabilise the economy and address the budget deficit. But, as Mr Serdiuk concludes, “political readiness to defend is also essential.”
