European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her intention to tour EU countries participating in the SAFE defense cooperation program to coordinate the production of drones for Ukraine. She made this announcement during a joint press conference with the President of Ukraine in Brussels, writes European Pravda.
Von der Leyen plans to visit leading EU countries in the coming weeks to agree on specific steps for supplying drones to Ukraine.
The President of the European Commission noted that the SAFE mechanism allows combining the defense needs of EU member states and Ukraine, and also contributes to the development of the Ukrainian defense-industrial base. According to her, special attention will be paid to the production of drones within the framework of this initiative.
SAFE is part of the European Commission's broader plan to strengthen the EU's defense capabilities by 2030. The program provides for loans totaling 150 billion euros to member states for defense investment. According to media reports, at the time of the announcement, 18 countries had already applied for loans, and their total amount exceeds the available funding.
Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that this initiative meets the common interests of the European Union and Kyiv, and is part of a long-term strategy to support Ukrainian defense capabilities.
It was previously reported that the EU is counting on the participation of 20 countries in the SAFE program to support the Ukrainian defense industry.